Jeff Towler Building Pty Ltd Project 1

ARCHITECTURAL ORIGAMI

Located on one of the most attractive tree-lined avenues in Sydney’s inner west, fronted with largely original late-Victorian houses, is this historical showpiece. To preserve the home’s charm, Jeff Towler Building faithfully retained and restored the main, front portion of the house and added contemporary work to the rear. The addition provides contemporary living spaces, work-from-home opportunities and new, expansive bedrooms that will grow with the children. The updated form, with its distinctive, softly muted zinc roof, is subtly visible from the street, quietly announcing its presence but remaining subservient and respectful to the original structure and the heritage streetscape.

Inside, traditional, cellular rooms at the front give way to more open, day-to-day living spaces at the rear, all of which enjoy a connection to the external spaces of the backyard. The two levels in the new addition are connected by stairs that climb dramatically under the folded roof form.

The addition supports photo-voltaic panels that are invisible when viewed from the street, an important consideration in a heritage context. The canopy-like roof integrates generous overhangs for passive solar control. The roof structure incorporates a system of two layers of insulation, separated by airgaps, to give a high level of thermal control to the new, internal spaces. Water tanks are integrated into the new work, as is double glazing for both thermal and acoustic performance.