This house investigated the extension of an existing heritage character house to cater for additional space and more open and informal living patterns. The rear of the existing house was modified to connect to a new living pavilion that flanks the backyard and opens onto outdoor living and dining areas.

Due consideration also needed to be given to the heritage conservation restrictions imposed on the existing house on the site as well as the heritage street scape. Consequently, the new pavilion was ‘nested’ in behind the existing house and its pitched roof form so that it is almost entirely unseen from the street.

The backyard pavilion building typology is a solution for creating flexible and open living spaces in connection with more traditional housing types.

Favourable building orientation and enhanced relationships to outdoor space have been maximized through considered siting of the new structure.The opportunities for ‘keying’ the new and old buildings together is a fascinating design problem in additions such as this. These spaces inform a narrative of the old and new buildings and can often provide interesting and unusual spatial experiences at this threshold.