Glencairn Estate Home, Coburg

This project consisted of demolishing a 1970’s addition to a Californian Bungalow, and adding a modern two storey addition to the rear. This was a great project, and we were lucky enough to have great clients, a talented architect and our usual suspects of competent carpenters and all the other trades, that supplement the quality of works we produce. The rocky hillside was excavated to build the two storey addition, consisting of a lower storey bedroom/Study, and a bathroom and laundry, then stepping up to a double height space of the ‘lantern room’, serving as the rumpus room.

The design had a fundamental basis in traditional Japanese aesthetics, based on the concept of wabi – sabi. Characteristics of wabi – sabi include asymmetry, roughness, simplicity, economy, austerity, intimacy, and appreciation of the ingenuous integrity of natural objects and processes.

Limited site access via rear lane was a complication, and support of the existing home, as the excavation, concreting and retaining works were carried out was challenging. The detailing was precise, and all the trades involved did a super job. Our first job, where a defects list wasn’t required. We must be improving as we get older.

This was a lovely home to transform, and the process was enjoyed by everyone.