Image Credit : Tatjana Plitt
Project Overview
Hawthorn Hood is a sensitive renovation/extension that transforms a heritage-listed home into a light-filled, modern ‘forever home’, blending respect for its historical roots with the needs of contemporary living.
Rather than distancing itself from the form and materiality of the existing period home, our design engages with the key elements that define it; grand interior proportions and a highly articulated terracotta roof. A dated addition at the rear of the home was unclipped and the floor plan was reprogrammed to open up to a sun-drenched rear yard. The original home accommodates the more introverted spaces of the house (bedrooms and utilities), while new living areas, set beneath a distinctive, folding terracotta roof form, are positioned to the north, harnessing midday sun and connecting indoor and outdoor living spaces. This gesture not only responds to the functional requirements of the home but also serves as a visual and contextual nod to its heritage.
The Hawthorn Hood is an example of how thoughtful design can breathe new life into an existing, period home while preserving its historical essence. By celebrating the original architectural features and reinterpreting them within a contemporary framework, the design creates a balanced and harmonious space that serves the needs of a modern family, offering both functionality and beauty. This is a ‘forever home’- one that honours the past while embracing the future.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Bent Architecture:
Paul Porjazoski, Michael Germano, Joanna Butler, Merran Porjazoski, Lana Blazanin
Structural Engineer:
Clive Steele Partners P/L
Builder:
Arundel Constructions P/L
Photography:
Tatjana Plitt
Project Brief
The Hawthorn Hood clients, two professionals with primary school-aged twins, approached our studio to design a renovation extension for a house that they occupied in a neighbouring suburb. It became apparent, through early design investigations, that the resultant home would be heavily compromised by a number of inherent limitations in the house and site; the most significant being the solar orientation of the allotment.
These initial conversations sparked a hunt for a house and site that would better suit our client’s long-term needs, which included indoor and outdoor space for themselves, their children and aging parent/s in the future. A short list of preferred suburb/s, street/s and orientations informed a letter-drop campaign that culminated in the purchase of the project site. Design discussions commenced in haste, and the result is a light-filled and engaging ‘forever’ home that ticks all of our clients’ boxes!
Project Innovation/Need
Residential extensions typically follow one of two paths; they either mimic the existing building at the expense of amenities, or they starkly contrast with it, creating a disjointed experience. Our approach breaks free from both of these conventions by identifying the spirit of an existing house and reinterpreting it in an innovative site, program and environmentally responsive way. At the core of this approach is the belief that an extension should feel like a natural evolution of the existing structure - one that respects its essence without being beholden to it. At Hawthorn Hood, we’ve drawn inspiration from the materials, proportions, and rhythms of the original house, and reinterpreted these elements through a modern lens. This allows us to create a space that feels both familiar and distinctly new.
Design Challenge
At Hawthorn Hood, the primary design challenge related to finding a balance between preserving the character of the original structure and meeting the functional and aesthetic needs of modern living. In this case, the original house, with its cohesive heritage character, presented an opportunity to reinterpret its defining features; grand interior proportions and a distinctive terracotta roof form. Rather than diminishing these qualities, our approach was to engage with them, enhancing and reimagining their role within the expanded home.
The first step was to ‘unclip’ a previous, unsympathetic extension at the rear, which allowed us to reprogram the floorplan to better connect interior spaces to the sun-filled rear yard. The original home's bedrooms and utilities were retained, and a respectful relationship between the heritage fabric and new additions was created. New living areas, carefully positioned to the north, were designed to harness the midday sun while framing views of the backyard and pool.
Externally, the extension takes cues from the original, folding down at the rear to respond to the functional needs of the living spaces within, whilst acknowledging the surrounding heritage context with a respectful gesture to the neighbourhood's rooflines. This approach ensures the preservation of the home's historical integrity while creating a seamless, modern living environment that feels both respectful and inspired by its heritage roots. The challenge, ultimately, was to enhance the original character of the home without overshadowing it, ensuring that the new and old parts of the house exist in harmony.
Sustainability
Hawthorn Hood embodies a strong commitment to sustainability, both in terms of environmental impact and respect for the site's heritage. By retaining the existing house, we’ve minimized the carbon footprint associated with demolition and new construction, preserving the character of the home while enhancing its functionality for modern living.
The design takes full advantage of passive heating and cooling strategies, with all living spaces oriented to the north to capture natural sunlight in winter, reducing the need for artificial heating, while offering natural shade in summer to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. The incorporation of a central light well provides essential cross-flow ventilation and allows abundant natural light to penetrate deep into the floor plan, reducing the reliance on artificial lighting and promoting healthy indoor air quality.
The property is powered by an expansive solar array, paired with a high-capacity battery storage system, ensuring that the home operates efficiently and sustainably with renewable energy. Additionally, the house features 20,000 litres of underground water storage, which serves multiple purposes; supplying water to the interior, the pool, and the garden irrigation system, further reducing reliance on municipal water sources.
To enhance energy efficiency and durability, all window frames are constructed from low-maintenance, thermally broken aluminium, and combined with double-glazing to improve insulation and reduce heat loss.
Together, these sustainable features not only reduce the home’s environmental impact but also create a comfortable, energy-efficient living space that responds harmoniously to both the climate and the heritage of the property.
Architecture - Residential - Constructed
This award celebrates the design process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, and aesthetic considerations. Consideration given for material selection, technology, light and shadow.
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