Wattletree House is a project designed by Design by AD. Sitting stealthy behind the original heritage home, Wattletree House expands its presence through a newly defined footprint. Ensuring the original Edwardian era frontage remains the focus from approach, the addition is cloaked in a darked palette to emphasise its recessive intent, yet still has a unique boldness. In an honouring of the established nature and scale of homes in the area, the preservation of heritage was a key driver throughout, opting to celebrate the differences between old and new by way of contrast, instead of mimicking styles throughout. Photography by Tatjana Plitt.

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Stretching the original silhouette further and deeper into the site to engage more meaningfully with the laneway to the Southeast, the addition extrudes the mass of the home to the rear, taking on a more rectilinear form. Spread over two levels, a new butterfly-shaped roof reduces the overall pitch of the addition, allowing for the additional level to be inserted. Creating connections between inside and out was integral to lifestyle, with framed views from within and the weaving the new landscape in amongst the existing. In allowing a more flowing movement between inside and out, the outdoor entertaining areas and landscape become destinations of their own, bookending the site. As a balancing to the prominent red brick and terracotta roof tiles on site, a muted layering of greys tones w...