King William

South Fremantle Heritage House Extension for Multigenerational Living.

An existing three-bedroom house is extended with new ground-floor living areas and a first floor bedroom suite, a standalone garage, store and one-bedroom studio located at the very rear of the deep property.

Located on a quiet tree-lined side street, an original three-room stone cottage is comprehensively restored, its exposed stone walls and generous ceilings providing material and spatial cues that influence the extension’s design.

Our client requested a well-lit two-storey house that would be drenched in sunlight throughout the day but would feel like a private sanctuary despite its tight site and nearby neighbor’s.

This complex request inspired a ‘pinwheel’ strategy with windows carefully arranged around the exterior to capture the first glimmers of morning light through to late afternoon sun’s warm light. Windows are protected by deep, sculpted eaves that screen views or limit solar gain.

Seven skylights bring additional light to the upper and lower floors while a double height volume over the kitchen creates a generous section that connects with the adjacent timber staircase. The cumulative effect is a home that feels expansive despite its tight inner-suburban site.

The house is designed around a restrained material palette of beach-hued stone and render externally and warm timbers used internally; Natural materials that age gracefully and speak to the coastal location.

The house’s form is muscular and unashamedly geometric, with tall ground floor walls extending the rough limestone of the existing house, the first-floor then cantilevering over and protecting the northern and western elevations. The deep, angular window reveals create striking shadows on the western elevation.

The house is complemented by a native courtyard garden designed by Tristan Peirce and anchored by an external fireplace that creates visual screening to the new studio. Mature trees are planned for the eastern boundary, further screening the property from neighbor’s and protecting a paved external dining area, while on structure first-floor planting will soften the northern elevation.