The design proposal for the alterations and additions to this well-preserved Californian bungalow-style home needed to be carefully considered; they needed to remain respectful whilst conforming to the heritage and local planning policy requirements.

The internal alterations to the original home were considered minor in nature and were designed to increase functionality to the existing bedrooms and bathroom. Upon entering the home, the traditional layout had a disrupted flow from the front to the back. Our proposal corrected this flow by creating an opening through the existing fireplace to funnel movement through an open gallery corridor into the new pavilion addition.

The main pavilion addition, purposefully, does not mimic the existing home. Its look, form and style are intentionally different. We made a conscious effort for this addition to contrast the old in every way possible. We wanted guests to appreciate how the two distinctively different styles and periods of architecture fuse together, enabling a shared appreciation for what is old and what is new.

Internally, the experience of the double volume pavilion is notably different from the original home. Its open and expressive nature shares similar traits to older industrial warehouses which was a style that appealed to the East Fremantle dwellers. Exposed timber roof trusses, expressive mechanical duct work, the rawness of the mezzanine level’s structural elements and the open characteristics of the stairs all combine to create interest within the pavilion’s large volume. The proposed addition was designed to embrace and showcase aspects of the existing home. In particular, the existing back wall was accentuated as it created a distinctive divide between the old and new parts of the home.

The colours and materials used in the addition were also chosen to be distinctive from the existing home. Doing so allowed us to reinforce the visual separation between the old and the new. In daylight, the contrasting materials and their colours allow an easy distinction between the two architectural styles. Following dusk, the same dark colour tones of the pavilion, together with the absence of west facing openings allow for the double storey addition to disappear into the backdrop. This allows the emphasis to remain on the characteristic heritage-listed home.