New South Wales
Bronte Sisters comprises two dwellings, a heritage listed house, once altered by Andrew Burgess Architecture, and a neighbour, half of a pair of semidetached dwellings.
In order to serve our client’s brief for a flexible, multifunctional home for a young family and their overseas relatives, both have been restored, renovated, and, at the rear, opened to the landscape and physically connected via a timber deck.
Our approach was to create a pair of buildings that can be appreciated as one, or as individual dwellings, in dialogue, through a shared materiality and geometry.
From the street the existing houses are different yet sympathetic in scale and materiality. For the rear additions we have built on this relationship.
The renovation has made our lives easier. The living area flowing directly into the outdoor area makes it easy to watch the kids whilst working inside. Shifting the dining area to the kitchen means that we eat dinner together at the dining table instead of the kitchen island. The indoor/outdoor living areas have made entertaining easier and the kids love playing in the pool, garden and tree house. A playroom with sliding window has given the kids their own space, but flexibly opens up to be part of the main living area.
AB Stephens, Surveyor
ACOR, Engineer
Ash Holmes Art, Mural Artist
Damian O’Toole Town Planning, Basix Consultant
ITM Design, Hydraulic Consultant
KMD Outdoor Constructions, Pool Contractor
Mersonn, Town Planner
Mina Staples Design, Mural Wall Curation, Furniture & Interior Material Selection
Partridge, Structural Engineer
QS Plus, Quantity Surveyor
Residential Certifying, PCA Consultant
Spirit Level Design, Landscape Consultant
Weir Phillips, Heritage Consultant
The Australian Institute of Architects acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
