Crafted Warmth – Dulwich Hill House by Tribe Studio Architects

Adding another layer to an already richly storied home, the expression of the playful and the detailed prepares Dulwich Hill House for its next chapter. Tribe Studio Architects embraces the existing iterations and original heritage detailing to formalise a home of crafted warmth.

 Any home passed on from a previous custodian comes with inherited markings of its past. Indications of life and time are etched into the surfaces of our homes, in particular those that have had longer lives, exhibiting additions and alterations from the original to mould the space to the people who had lived there over time. In the case of Dulwich Hill House, the original Californian bungalow origins remain intact, with both 1950s and 1980s additions added into the mix. Bringing this storied past together with a sense of cohesion then became the main task at hand. Tribe Studio Architects taps into the playful and crafted nature of the original details and sculpted elements, while finding purpose in the additions through understanding their value and, in turn, focusing on a playful whimsy, accentuated through colour and contrast.

Tribe Studio Architects taps into the playful and crafted nature of the original details and sculpted elements, while finding purpose in the additions through understanding their value and, in turn, focusing on a playful whimsy, accentuated through colour and contrast.

Built by Ballast Construction, together with landscape design by Fieldwork Associates, Dulwich Hill House avoids stripping back to the core original build and instead aims to retain the best elements of all of the additions as one. The result sees an eclectic home emerge, expressed through coloured stained glass, intricate timber detailing and elements such as the river stone clad fireplace integrated with the new. The revised focus for the home then becomes founded on a sense of connection and light and through an opening both internally and to the surrounding landscape, the home forms new connections beyond the façade with the valuable green space of its surrounds.

Located in Sydney’s inner west and spread over two levels, the project captures the essence of a contemporary home. The original formality of the bungalow and its internal structure is opened up, with movement all focused on the connection to the rear, reflecting how the majority of homes are interacted with today. Acting as an extension of the home itself, the outdoor terrace becomes its own outdoor room. While the footprint of the home is increased through the revised planning, the subtle extractions become more deliberate and reduce the overall size and volume of the house, concentrating on a more activated ground floor instead of going upward.

The revised focus for the home then becomes founded on a sense of connection and light.

Sympathetically embracing its past, Dulwich Hill House captures the true lived narrative of its previous owners. Tribe Studio Architects uses a cautious hand to sculpt the new, ensuring the memory of the past continues.