Warmly Crafted – College Park Residence by Williams Burton Leopardi

With a new chapter added to the existing structure, College Park Residence is expanded both internally and out into the rear landscaping. Williams Burton Leopardi respects the heritage of the home through maintaining its façade yet rejuvenates the interiors with a warm and sensitive palette to fit the contemporary context.

Located within its namesake suburb, College Park Residence integrates a stealth renovation and expansion with little interruption to the outer face and its interaction with the streetscape. While the original main home remains, restorative works preserve its character and allow a more comfortable and contemporary liveability. While opening the interior spaces to enhance flow and fit the modern context, Williams Burton Leopardi draws from the original crafted and ornate detailing of the structure in proposing the additions and alterations.

While the original main home remains, restorative works preserve its character and allow a more comfortable and contemporary liveability.

A recessive yet integral addition to the site is the multiple car garage that sits to the side of the home. Clad in darkened timber, its presence is intended to be secondary to that of the Victorian-era façade and delicate lace ironwork. Through avoiding adding excessive mass to the site or excavating into the earth below, the efficient arrangement of internal stacking allows a prized collection of cars to be concealed. Expressing the family-focused nature of the home, the kitchen becomes the new central heart of the residence. Featuring three island elements as a measure of the space’s size and pull, with associated storage concealed behind integrated joinery, the room becomes the pivot point for all other functions of the residence.

To the rear, and nestled under an existing vine, sits a new pergola and entertaining space that encourages a flow of movement from the kitchen into the landscape. Abutting this is a two-level addition that sits independently from the main home as a retreat of sorts. The multi-use space features an integrated kitchen and bathroom to support the functions of a growing family over the years to come. A consistent materiality carries through from the heritage areas into the new volumes, which focus on warmth and longevity in the selection of natural stones and brass detailing used.

While opening the interior spaces to enhance flow and fit the modern context, Williams Burton Leopardi draws from the original crafted and ornate detailing of the structure in proposing the additions and alterations.

As an homage to the original home, College Park Residence is expanded through a crafted lens. Williams Burton Leopardi integrates a sensitive response to site and the natural elements to ensure a lasting presence.