In North Fremantle, within one of Perth’s most tightly restricted heritage-listed areas, associate Lauren Benson of Robeson Architects needed to think inside the box for a family fast outgrowing their house.
The owners, a family of four plus a cat, Kenrick, and a dog, Lebron, faced a classic dilemma – stay and feel forever squeezed in an area they loved, or move and make space somewhere else. With two teenagers in high school needing more room, they were reluctant to look elsewhere.
Their suburb of North Fremantle is highly desirable, close to the beach, the Swan river and the shops. They reached out to Lauren and Simone with a brief to update their home, add a bedroom, a retreat and a roof terrace.
They also loved the laidback Mediterranean atmosphere and sought material selections that better suited their beach-loving lifestyle, as well as trying to capture the sweeping beach views visible from much of the interior.
“It was a balancing act,” explains Lauren. “Trying to figure out how to retain the heritage detail but add a modern extension without it feeling hodgepodge and disconnected.”
In design, the challenge was not so much the house, but the 400-square-metre site itself. It features a 5 metre rise from street level to the rear, which pitches the house well above the street level. It’s also highly visible along one side, forming part of the heritage overlay.
“Originally, we had designed this concrete cantilevering balcony popping out behind the front house, but because you could see it from the side, we ended up having to keep the balcony fully contained within the existing roof line,” Lauren says.
A rooftop terrace, carefully designed within the existing roof structure to meet heritage overlays, provides a discreet retreat with views across Fremantle Port and cascading greenery – perfect for afternoon drinks.
They couldn’t touch the front façade either, despite the house featuring non-compliant entry steps, which were not allowed to be rectified to make it more user friendly.
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“Instead, we designed a sleek but practical handrail to help older visitors access the home, and an additional compliant staircase tucked behind the existing carport for easy access day to day,” Lauren says.
Inside, the home extends to a new upper-floor addition that cleverly sits on the existing walls, a cost-conscious move that meant the family could spend their budget on areas that needed it most.
One is the grand statement staircase, another is the double-height void kitchen, lounge and dining space that captures the breeze, flowing out to a rear paved area.
“We originally weren’t going to redesign the kitchen, but then discovered there was black mould in all the carcasses of the old kitchen. So, we redesigned it and picked beautiful Arabella quartzite for the monolith island, with bits of pink in it,” Lauren says.
“It was a ‘happy accident’ that now anchors the kitchen with sculptural drama,” she laughs.
Unafraid of bold gestures, they splashed pink mosaic throughout the ensuite, which also has ocean beach views, travertine crazy paving inside and out downstairs and gently curving aluminium elements to the windows.
“There’s no way we could have put steel windows there; they would have rusted. We engaged a great manufacturer who does beautiful fine-line aluminium, and he did that gorgeous work.”
While tricky to get through council, the outcome gives the family at least an extra quarter of floor space without compromising the heritage requirements, and the ability to stay in the neighbourhood they love.
“In the afternoon, the breeze drifts through the house making everything feel relaxed – exactly how it is meant to be experienced,” Lauren says.
