Extending Existing Geometries – Clovelly House by Smart Design Studio

With a respectful and realistic approach, Clovelly House sees the extended play on existing geometries transform a Federation-era home. Smart Design Studio emphasises sustainability and restraint to create a refreshing and light-filled contemporary home of purpose, fitting to its context.

Located within range of Sydney’s Clovelly Beach, the same-named home sees the renovation and extension of an existing heritage house and ill-fitting addition. Taking inspirational muse from the surrounding aesthetic and beachside community, a light and airy approach was adopted. While ensuring that a significant portion of the existing home remained, the new works were founded on sustainability and a measured approach. Although it would have been easier, as is usually the case, to demolish and build entirely new, the team wanted to retain, preserve and improve on what stood before. Smart Design Studio combines an acute understanding of the surrounding context with a restrained approach in generating the resulting light-filled home.

Located within range of Sydney’s Clovelly Beach, the same-named home sees the renovation and extension of an existing heritage house and ill-fitting addition.

Analysing the existing comprising parts, the original home sat behind a tall brick fence, and its original bungalow characteristics had been covered up over the years. To maintain privacy, the fence remained and was reworked, and the addition was rebuilt to better respond to the site, while maintaining the original entry to the home situated down the side of at the mid-pointoffered a natural separation internally. Reconfiguring the internal spaces allowed for the opening up of the previously dark and formal arrangements inherent in the original home’s architecture. The new works create a more centralised family space, connecting to a deck and the garden below, encouraging interaction.

Embracing its coastal locale, the white cladding and overall approach to materiality was one responding to the surrounding environs while also being robust and durable at the same time. The additional elements are introduced in a subtle and streamlined way, with a clean and minimal methodology and restrained palette. The extensive use of light colours and focus on the glazed openings create a series of unique opportunities for the interiors to engage with the prevailing views and nature beyond. The absence of joinery hardware further reinforces these clean lines, and gestures such as the island bench with no capacity for stools mean the form is expressed and uninterrupted.

Taking inspirational muse from the surrounding aesthetic and beachside community, a light and airy approach was adopted.

Clovelly House rejects the typical approach, and instead of demolishing or restoring completely, retains and reshapes the inherited parts. Smart Design Studio brings a considered consciousness to preservation and reuse, resulting in a sustainable, contemporary and appropriately fitting solution for the site.

While ensuring that a significant portion of the existing home remained, the new works were founded on sustainability and a measured approach.