Kent by Alexandra Buchanan Architecture

Elevated above a quiet, leafy garden in Brisbane’s Teneriffe, a 1925 Queenslander has been transformed by Alexandra Buchanan Architecture into a layered retreat, where contemporary interventions enhance the home’s heritage charm while preserving its past.

Kent unfolds as a quiet revelation. From the street, its original cottage form maintains a modest presence, offering little hint of what lies beyond. Stepping inside, the site’s natural descent reveals an expansive, multi-level extension, where the architecture harmonises with the land’s contours. This thoughtful design bridges past and present, employing a restrained material palette and carefully framed openings to strike a balance between openness and privacy.

The choice of materials shapes Kent’s transformation, bringing both depth and cohesion to the home.

A central courtyard acts as the focal point, filtering light deep into the home while encouraging natural ventilation. More than a passive environmental strategy, the courtyard is an anchor – both spatially and experientially – establishing a sense of calm and separation between the original cottage and the new addition. The site’s elevation places neighbouring properties in close proximity, making this inward focus a crucial design move. Rather than competing with external views, the architecture creates moments of connection – between light and shadow, solidity and transparency, indoors and out.

The choice of materials shapes Kent’s transformation, bringing both depth and cohesion to the home. Hardwood, concrete and bluestone add a quiet tactility, their natural textures referencing the informal elegance of Sri Lankan and Singaporean architecture that the clients admire. The west-facing orientation, a potential challenge in Brisbane’s climate, is mitigated by shaded outdoor spaces, deep overhangs and operable walls that allow breezes to circulate freely. Throughout, light is carefully modulated – bouncing off plastered walls, filtering through timber screens and shifting with the time of day.

The original Queenslander, preserved in its integrity, now sits in dialogue with the new, its traditional details reframed within a broader narrative.

More than a considered response to climate and site, Kent is a deeply personal home. With family scattered across the globe, the clients sought a space that could function as both an intimate retreat and a welcoming place for long-term visitors. This duality is woven throughout the house: large, open-plan areas encourage connection, while more enclosed spaces offer respite when needed. The original Queenslander, preserved in its integrity, now sits in dialogue with the new, its traditional details reframed within a broader narrative.

At every turn, the architecture resists excess. There is no singular statement piece – no grand gesture that defines the home. Instead, its richness lies in the material junctions, shifting perspectives and the quiet balance between history and modernity.

Architecture and interior design by Alexandra Buchanan Architecture. Build by BBH Projects.