Courtyard House

Location

Paddington, NSW

Recognition

Houses Magazine #136 (2020)

Overview

A complete reconfiguration of a Victorian terrace on a narrow 4.5m-wide lot in Paddington. The existing house had been extended twice and had lost all coherence.

Challenge

A complete reconfiguration of a Victorian terrace on a narrow 4.5m-wide lot in Paddington. The existing house had been extended twice and had lost all coherence.

Solution

We removed the two rear additions entirely and replaced them with a single contemporary extension built around a central courtyard. The courtyard brings borrowed light into the kitchen, dining, and first-floor bedroom. A skylight above the stair connects the original Victorian front to the new rear.

Result

Published in Houses Magazine #136. 340% increase in natural light to the centre of the house (midwinter noon) · Extension achieved within the existing building envelope — no DA required · Sold in 2024 at 22% above suburb median.