VISION Issue 5 | Page 9

9 You have had to effectively inhabit a previous residence? What are some of the key design references? A lot of money went into fixing what was already there. It was poorly designed and in awful condition in terms of its construction value. We had to oversee a partial demolition that involved about 20sqs. of the original house. We undertook a grand buildings study tour that included town halls, banks and GPOs and that inspired the direction. We had to create those authentic details throughout including the balconies and mouldings on the front façade. The minimalist rooftop addition was designed so as not to overpower the traditional building elements and to sit inconspicuously against the existing, steeply pitched roof. We weighed up our options and decided to turn it back into an ‘old’ home on the hill which grew from the grand civic buildings such as GPOs and town halls. It must have been a formidable assignment to work on such a dysfunctional original dwelling. The abandoned residence of solid construction presented 70 squares of non-functional spaces, including an un-tiled indoor pool. The facade did not possess the proportions or characteristics associated with any distinguishable period or style. Energy efficiency considerations were poor. It was really an all-round disaster. A Grand Revivalist