Muted Rounding – Silver Back by Goodwin Scarfone Belgiorno-Nettis

Increasing the overall volume and scale of an existing heritage terrace home, Silver Back sees an addition clad in silver tones set to the rear of the existing, combining a functional resilience with nods to the familiar. Goodwin Scarfone Belgiorno-Nettis examines the existing conditions to propose an expansion that playfully engages with the site and bridges old and new with sympathy.

As a means to navigate the limitations of the existing building, the Marrickville home is expanded to create a more meaningful sense of connection for the owners while still respecting the original form and scale of the original. By expanding the overall footprint, the otherwise separated home becomes more aligned with a contemporary occupation, while addressing and engaging with the rear open space as a key part of family life and as a core part of an outdoor lifestyle in Sydney. Goodwin Scarfone Belgiorno-Nettis extrudes the overall form of the home into the rear. Instead of mimicking the original materiality, a lighter-weight metal sheeting clads the new form, as both a gesture of the addition being a new chapter and as a reflection of an approach – to do only as needed, lightly.

Integrally, the proposal reinterprets the original nuances and details in a more contemporary way and uses the curve as a new gesture to articulate the interior as well as the new form.

Spread over multiple levels, the terrace home retains the essence of its original makers while also being restored to ensure a continued relevance over the coming years. The combining of the old and new allows the more prominent formality and separation of the original rooms to remain as originally intended and for the new to form an alternate approach. The addition then focuses on creating more connected and shared zones, offering opportunities to bring occupants together while also allowing for a spill out into the landscape as another room. Integrally, the proposal reinterprets the original nuances and details in a more contemporary way and uses the curve as a new gesture to articulate the interior as well as the new form, softening movement throughout.

The silver encasing materiality also addresses the less structured and solid rear condition of the terrace homes, where a series of garages open to a laneway, all sharing corrugated iron sheeting fences. By wrapping the form in a similar sheeting then elevating it through the dramatic curve along the edge, it becomes a sensitive offering to the fabric of the home, looking well beyond the façade. Internally, the home connects with ease between the existing and the new, with a shared palette and softened coolness used throughout. The layering of textures and tactile elements further tempers the spaces, creating an unexpected retreat in the process.

The layering of textures and tactile elements further tempers the spaces, creating an unexpected retreat in the process.

As a play on contrasts, and as an offering that responds to more than just the façade, Silver Back utilises a refreshing approach. Goodwin Scarfone Belgiorno-Nettis cleverly uses the restraints of the site to enhance the existing and heritage elements and create an open and connected home.