Presented with a near derelict shell, and a tiny budget, this project was all about maximising the potential of this corner site in Alexandria, for the bare minimum of cost.
Located on a busy street corner in Alexandria, yet opposite a popular park, the site presented opportunities as both a commercial and residential development. A ground floor commercial frontage seeks to enliven the immediate area and generate revenue for the young family, while simultaneously raising the main house away from street, providing both privacy and views over the park.
With the inside gutted, a new steel frame was inserted to stabilise the existing walls. To create this desirable split-level development, three new floors were inserted into the space where only two previously existed, with the top bedroom level manifesting as a lantern above the parapet walls. With the house painted black against its hash urban setting, new plywood framed box windows give the only indication as to the house beyond, and allow the largely plywood interiors, to glow warm from within.
