There’s something particularly interesting about working with a home that has already evolved once — and is ready for its next chapter.
This classic Queens Park semi underwent a ground-floor renovation approximately ten years ago, designed by another architect. That earlier work successfully reconfigured the living spaces and established a strong foundation for family life. Our role now is to build upon that investment, extending the house upward to create a cohesive and carefully considered whole.
Building Up, Not Out
With the ground level already resolved, the brief for the upper addition is about completing the story, creating new spaces that feel entirely integrated with the existing home while responding to the realities of contemporary family life.
Upper-level additions to semis in Queens Park come with their own architectural challenges:
respecting the rhythm and heritage of the streetscape
managing overlooking and privacy between close neighbours
bringing in natural light without compromising built form
ensuring the addition feels original rather than “added on”
Our approach is always to treat the new level as a continuation of the home’s architectural language rather than an imposition. Proportion, materiality and light will guide the design so the completed house feels cohesive and calm, as though it has always been this way.
Construction Begins
Works commence at the beginning of February, marking the transition from drawings and approvals into the tangible craft of building. It’s the moment every architect looks forward to: when ideas begin to take physical form.
This project brings together a team whose collaboration promises a highly considered outcome. We’re looking forward to working closely with Louise from Interni Interior Design, whose sensitivity to material and interior atmosphere will shape the lived experience of the new spaces, and Joe Logan from 4×4 Builders, whose construction expertise will ensure the design is executed with precision and care.
Watching It Take Shape
Upper-level additions have a particular drama, with the gradual emergence of structure above a familiar roofline, the way a home subtly changes its presence within the street, and the anticipation of new light and views opening up inside.
As construction progresses over the coming months, we’re excited to see this Queens Park semi evolve once more, from a well-loved house into a fully realised family home for its next decade and beyond.