Drawing in Light – Woollahra Residence by Matt Goodman Architecture Office
Concealing its extension to the rear, Woollahra Residence preserves the original character and charm of its single-storey frontage as an important contributor to heritage in the area. Matt Goodman Architecture Office opens up the home to bring in natural light and generously bathe the new spaces.
The streets of Woollahra stand as reminders of the area’s origins, with so much of its history remaining due to the blanketing heritage overlays. While the boundaries of what defines heritage are constantly being challenged, when the benefits of retaining such character can be seen en masse, its influence is pretty convincing. It is therefore rarely questioned when the original or streetscape fronting elements of a heritage home need to be retained. In the case of Woollahra Residence, the single level home forms part of a row of unique homes that, although are all connected, have their own nuanced differences. Drawing on this and the home’s own past, the addition and renovation by Matt Goodman Architecture Office opens more generously to both above and to the rear.
Woollahra Residence sits abutting a public park and taking advantage of that was key. Through elevating upward, views out allow a more direct connection and create a better sense of place. An existing breezeway that ran the length of the home is reinstated in the form of a generous skylight, drawing in natural light and illuminating the home from within. In its formality, the original terrace home arrangement becomes the ideal placement for the quieter and removed areas of the home, namely the study, guestroom and living room space – separated and contained. The new double storey addition then combines an open dining and kitchen space while adding two additional bedrooms and support spaces.
The overall connection to lightness is translated into the palette; an abundance of white is used internally to further enhance the proportions and sense of scale. Externally, the form is also white while louvred screening elements allow a control of light and also act as a screening face to the home. Through a simplified approach, the old and new sit in harmony with one another without trying to compete or overshadow, ensuring the home in its entirety feels like one connected entity.
Through a simplified approach, the old and new sit in harmony with one another without trying to compete or overshadow, ensuring the home in its entirety feels like one connected entity.
