O'Donnell Residence

Project Description

The clients purchased the property in 2002 with an agreement with the previous owners that they would renovate the house and not clear the site for student flats. The cottage was in a state of disrepair; however the clients had fallen in love with the house and location, and wanted to bring out the beauty in this old home. The original house layout was too small for the clients pending family and not conducive to modern living. The clients required three bedrooms (master with ensuite), and large open living areas with a good connection to the outdoor spaces. A double garage with parking was essential as the street was very steep and parking difficult. They were concerned any additions could compromise the integrity of the cottage, and they wished to retain as much as possible of the original features. Having the house position set posed a challenge, as it meant additional spaces had to be fitted around this area. The integrity of the frontage had to be also maintained and the flow of the floor plan inductive to a modern living style. The proposed plan accomplished this with the additional bedrooms incorporated into a lean-to addition at the rear and the garage tucked away in the northeast corner. Additional space was created by wrapping the verandah around three sides of the house and partially enclosing it to accommodate the master bedroom, ensuite and kitchen. The original house front was retained including the two large timber windows and entrance door. The fireplace was also stripped back and restored. Surplus timber was recycled into various joinery components in the kitchen and bathrooms. Some original decorative verandah brackets were found under the house. These were copied and used on the new verandah and porch. The house was reclad with timber weatherboards and fully insulated above the building code requirements.