A Three-Bedroom Home Outside Sydney Gets a Sustainable, Spacious Update

When the owners of a home in Petersham, a suburb of Sydney, decided that their Aussie property didn't have enough space for their three kids, they all had some conflicting opinions about a renovation. The clan was hesitant to change its historic attributes, but they were open to modernization. Then they agreed that sustainability was a top priority, but no one wanted to sacrifice more room for a smaller footprint. So what exactly was architect Christopher Polly and his namesake firm supposed to do?

For starters, they worked to delicately etch a modern two-story frame into the original fabric of the rear, while preserving the architecture in the front facade. Then, designers worked with Matrix Additions to create large windows that improve ventilation while boosting natural light, and installed them in a futuristic design that features a larger kitchen space, a master bathroom, and a new laundry room. Last but not least, the team made sure that the airy living area easily opened on to the backyard, providing even more square footage for a family who got to check everything off their list.