Dream Family Home

A house with space for all the family.

For this project in Randwick, we really needed to work to maximise the advantages of the site (narrow, deep and steep!).

The previous occupants of this single-storey California Bungalow were an older couple, living on their own and the extensive garden was not in use, so the only flow of the house was in and out of the front door, with little or no connection to the outdoor spaces to the rear.

The arrival of a family with young children was an opportunity to give this house the building equivalent of a facelift, hip replacement, shoulder reconstruction and hair transplant, and the result is this three-storey floorplan that is workable, child-friendly, and achieves the best flow for family living.

The internal space is completely reworked to deliver a base level of open-plan living, yet still provide detached spaces for when separation is required. A new upper floor parent’s retreat includes media area and balconies, front and rear.

A principal design feature of this house is a new internal stair that spans three levels, allowing for centralised movement between spaces, and assisting with ventilation and access to natural light in the centre of the house.

The conversion of the basement area to a family playroom and BBQ terrace, leads down to a lower garden and finally the pool level.

This house was a neglected, dark, single storey bungalow and a dramatically sloping block. Now it’s the tri-level dream house of the family who have brought new life to the home!