CLIFTON HILL/Wurundjeri-willam, Melbourne
Type: Renovation and rear double storey extension to a semi-detached terrace home in a heritage overlay area.
Status: Town planning
The proposed double storey rear extension inverts the floor plan, placing the quieter more private zones on the ground floor and the more public active spaces on the upper level with good access to natural daylight, city views and an elevated deck. Situated on a prominent corner site, the design is sensitive to the surrounding neighbours and heritage buildings in the area. The roof form is proposed as a familiar gable, and external materials are a subtle mix of colorbond metal and hardwood timber cladding left to go grey and age gracefully. Recycled red bricks will be sourced to construct the double brick wing walls enclosing the private open space. We will be looking to maximise site permeability where possible and propose grasscrete concrete as the paving in the rear outdoor space.
Granite Hills Community Park, Bunjil nganga Parkland/South Morang, Melbourne north-eastern suburbs
Collaboration with RushWright Design Pty Ltd.
Public toilets with shelter pavilion and picnic shelters to service the broader community park and playground development commissioned by City of Whittlesea.
Type: public amenities building and picnic shelters
Status: Completed 2025
The design of the public toilet shelter was inspired by a large shed like structure which creates a sheltered place for gathering, social events and retreat. The long rectilinear form was compressed and stepped around the site to work with the topography, existing water bodies and proposed pedestrian paths. Visually the building presents as a slender and light steel structure with a simple skillion roof punctuated by coloured skylights at either end. Perforated metal has been used to create some visual screening of the basin areas and rainwater tank enclosure. The central area will be entirely covered by coloured polycarbonate roof sheeting with a decorative perforated metal ceiling soffit. The perforated ceiling soffit will have a customised interpretive artwork image informed by cultural heritage. Public toilets to be unisex with a Changing Places facility.
Brunswick/Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung, Melbourne
PROJECT TEAM
Architect: Lucy Williams
Builder: VW Building
Photography: Charlie Kinross
Type: Renovation and rear extension of an existing double brick heritage home. Upgrading existing building to improve thermal comfort.
Status: Completed 2025
The new rear extension is a reimagined contemporary interpretation of the original 1920's heritage building. The floor plan has been reshuffled to locate bedrooms and quiet areas within the front part of the house, allowing entertaining and active zones to move to the rear of the house, open up to the garden and covered outdoor spaces. The connection between old and new/past and present is clearly defined with the accentuated roof junction which also helps simplify the construction. The new roof kicks up towards the east scooping in morning sunlight deep into the interior living spaces. The pitched roof line and internal raked ceilings are reminiscent of the lofty industrial warehouse spaces once commonly found in the area. The project will also boast a neat list of sustainable achievements:
- Bricks reclaimed from the site demolition will be reused in the new exterior walls.
- New higher roof pitched at 22 degrees to support PV solar panels.
- Energy rating of existing building is 1.3 stars, combined rating of new and old will increase to 5.4 stars with extension meeting a minimum 7-star rating.
- Timber framed pergola along western facade to support deciduous vines.
- Building footprint increased by only 27m2.
Moonlight Flat, North-central Victoria
Type: A new compact home in the country which is the smaller cousin of the Country Lighthouse. Designed for its three occupants seeking a tree change who still want the ability to entertain and host their urban friends and extended family. Designed as a 2 bed + study/guest bedroom with all services completely off-grid and to meet BAL 29 bushfire construction standards.
Status: Under construction
Two modest pavilions organise the plan into active/public areas and more private/quiet/resting spaces. A services zone with study links the two volumes together. The skillion roofs pitch back towards north at 23 degrees to take a 7kW rooftop solar PV system, with the intention to increase to 15kW eventually. All rainwater will be captured in 2 x 20,000L rainwater tanks to service the dwelling and an above ground container lap pool. The exterior materials of James Hardie cement sheet weatherboards, Colorbond metal sheeting and concrete blockwork are a mix of the familiar residential and rural classics which will blend and recede into the silvery greys of the Australian bushland.
PROJECT TEAM
Architect: Lucy Williams
Builder: VW Building
Photography: Charlie Kinross Photography
Location: Rosanna,Vic/Wurundjeri Country
The clients came to us at a crucial time in the life of many families, the kids are now all teenagers and want their own room, the parents have to lock themselves in their bedrooms to sleep, work and get their own screen time. The kids need a space to hang out when their friends come over which isn't the main living space and in the complete watchful eye of their parents. The solution was a two-stage development. A new semi-basement built under the existing deck provides a rumpus/study and the main extension steps down the site providing a parent's retreat. Entry into the parent's wing doubles as the robe area and there is direct access from the bathroom to the external deck areas via large north facing glazing. The extension improves the sense of seclusion and privacy in the backyard by semi-enclosing the garden space.
North-Western Regional Victoria
Type: Prototype for a bushfire dwelling designed to the highest level of bushfire rating BAL Flame Zone (FZ). Suitable for luxury weekend getaway or short term accommodation.
Status: Concept Design 2021
Designed as a weekend getaway haven, this concrete house is proposed for a rural site which contains sensitive areas of native vegetation. The design approach with the building was to propose a structure which essentially designed out the fire risk rather than create large areas of cleared vegetation for defendable space and construct a less fire resistant building. Precast concrete has been selected as the main structural material for its obvious high fire resistant properties. Insulated concrete panels will be used for the walls to ensure a highly thermally efficient building skin. Working with a standardised panel system, typically used in commercial construction creates an economical prefabricated system and method of construction. This again allows time and trades required on site to be kept to a minimum.
The building planning has been developed to create a layered experience of the site. The quiet, restful spaces of the bedroom, lounge and bathroom are located on the ground floor with the luxurious bathroom opening out onto a secluded courtyard sculpted out of the rocky earth. A central staircase leads up to the more active, public areas of the living, kitchen and dining on level 1. A large picture window at the end of the living provides views out towards the treelined hills, valleys and sunsets. Above this, the large area of flat roof provides good opportunity for a roof top terrace where the occupants are elevated amongst the treetops. A small plunge pool is located at the eastern end of the terrace to provide that ultimate natural bathing experience.
Completely off-grid the building will maximise the potential to capture sun and rain water. The large low-pitch roof hovers over the concrete container like a parasol and provides good opportunity for mounting roof top solar and capturing rain water for potable water and fire fighting. Metal roof sheeting with a deep rib profile allows the roof to be self-supporting which minimises conventional roof structural framing required and optimises roof surface area for rain water capture. A covered outdoor forecourt is also created by the large westerly roof overhang. Operable sections of glazing at the ground level will be screened by sheets of mirrored stainless steel, these sheets continue along the façade of the building to create a reflective ribbon which in turn reflects the surrounding environment. Narrower slot windows on the upper levels will be screened by stainless steel mesh and roll down shutters. Shade hoods made from corten steel help conceal the roll down shutters.
Although monolithic in appearance, the robustness of this building allows a more sensitive response to the surrounding landscape.
PROJECT TEAM
Architect: Lucy Williams
Builder: Somerset Construction
Photography: Charlie Kinross Photography
Location: St Andrews, North-East Vic/Dhauward Wurrung Country
New house designed to BAL 40 bushfire standards. The project began as an extension to the existing house, however the little post-war relocatable cottage needed extensive TLC to bring it up to current building and bushfire regulations. The team decided to retain the existing building footprint for various reasons including; siting – the existing building was already located on the most open, cleared part of the site, budget – the existing plan was based on standardised construction dimensions and nostalgia – the client had lived in the house for the best part of 50 years.
With a footprint of 75m2 and total floor area of 106m2 the proposed building packs a lot in. Aptly nicknamed ‘The Tardis’ by the client, the compact and robust exterior opens up inside to reveal voluminous and light filled spaces. Storage areas are discreetly built-in within seating, walls and under stairs and then not so discreetly as a linen cupboard pops out to occupy the airspace above the stair and provides the house with its own little ‘black box’. The simple exterior form and Colorbond metal cladding finish is largely driven by the bushfire resilience. Internally the material palette is unadorned and somewhat industrial to retain the carefree cabin like experience.
Client testimonial;
Approaching the house, one is struck by the compactness, the unusual shape, the height of the building & the very small footprint. The house was built on the same footprint as its predecessor which was an asbestos clad single bedroom postwar cottage, constructed from rescued timber. Many of the stumps were just that – tree stumps. The new façade is hidden by native shrubs. The house is entered from a concrete patio which is a delightful place to sit in the sunshine, entertain or have a drink. The front door which fits very snugly is from a dense & heavy Blackbutt timber. From this entry point, the house opens up. It’s not called Tardis House for nothing. It’s a very light & bright house full of ideas & features. Down a short passage with a hanging space behind the door. On the right a laundry, shower & WC, with an exit door. Further down a snug cupboard for an ironing board. On the left is a generous bedroom. There is a very large storage facility under the stairs which remains cool and is accessed by two tall doors. This brings us to the house piece de resistance: a 6-meter-high void, with large windows below & above. It’s a glorious space refuting the small nature of the house. The windows give onto trees and adjacent to the void is a compact galley kitchen. The kitchen is clad in Laminex Macedon Mist and set off by darker blue wall tiles.
A heavy exit door is situated between the void & the kitchen.
The timber staircase, in Victorian ash, climbs off the passage. There is a bathroom left with tight fitting louvre windows, next to the large bedroom with windows north & east, giving onto tall trees. Just adjacent is a “dressing room” with robes & chest of drawers.
The lounge room takes pride of place, with a balustrade over the void. Lastly, the study which has superlative views over the bushland.
Externally, the windows are aluminium, but internally Victorian Ash with a stained finish.
The house has been built to BAL40 specifications, in corrugated iron. Windows are double glazed – all to resist bushfire.
Cooling is by 3 large fans. Heating is by a wood heater.
Moonlight Flat, North-central Victoria
Type: A new house in rural Victoria which will have the ability to function as a 1 bedroom with study or expand out into 3 bedrooms when unexpected life changes occur. Designed to be completely off-grid and to meet BAL 29 bushfire construction standards.
Status: Concept Design
The simple pavilion forms have a rural aesthetic and skillion roofs which pitch down towards north and west for optimum roof top solar PV capture and create overhanging eaves to shade north and west facing glazing. The plan pivots around the site to take advantage of the natural surrounding beauty - three dams to the south and treed ridge lines to the north. The building has been zoned to allow the home to function for many iterations of use and features several multi-functional breakout spaces which can be used as office space, guest stay or retreat areas. The house has been sited on a previously cleared area of the land but due to bushfire defendable space requirements the built form has been pushed out to the edge of a low embankment. The clients were keen to build up and not out to capture views which also helped create a compact energy efficient floor plan.
Eltham North, Melbourne north-eastern suburbs
Type: Extensive renovations to existing house, new entry stair, studio retreat and new double garage with rooftop garden
Status: Design Development
On a steep sloping site typical of the topography around Eltham North sits a sturdy double brick and timber house finely crafted by Merchant Builders in 1969. Along comes the early 1980’s and the house was subject to renovations which built-in under the house and effectively removed the front door creating a somewhat confused building. LWA have been commissioned to help our clients breathe new life into the old, exposed brick and timber structure while reinstating the front entry stairs plus ad a studio retreat and double garage which presented a great opportunity to include a rooftop garden and new outdoor entertaining area complete with a container plunge pool.
Greensborough, Melbourne north-eastern suburbs
Type: Separate studio with garage and renovations to existing house including upper level extension.
Status: Under Construction
Our clients loved their location but were struggling to function in their original 1975 AV Jennings brick veneer town house. With tight rooms, minimal storage and thermally very poor the family of five were searching for a way to improve their home. Our proposed solution has been a two-stage development. Stage 1 being a separate garage with studio + ensuite and Stage 2 a complete renovation of the existing house which includes an upper-level extension popping out on the north-east corner to house a master bedroom and ensuite. We like to think of the studio as the ‘time-out’ zone for all ages, with walls clad in stained plywood it will be robust enough to accommodate a teenage sleepover or surreal and calm for sleeping, reading or a relaxing yoga class. The external materials for both stages will be complementary stained HW timber cladding and timber batten screening, dark Lysaght Dominion wall cladding and exposed steel framing with a painted finish.
Castlemaine, VIC
Type: Extension to existing cottage to provide studio space, accommodation and bath house.
Area: 124m2 + 40m2 deck
Status: Tender
Set on a rural property in central Victoria, this extension to an existing cottage will provide studio and workshop space with short term accommodation. The link to the existing house has been designed as a glasshouse which may be used for plant propagation and growing temperate climate plants which is a passion for the landscape architect clients. The building footprint is compact, however the double height form and verandah space suggests a more civic scale and references the former historic hotel building once on the site. Glazing at the upper level will provide great views out towards the surrounding landscape while roof overhangs and the arbour structure provide essential shading. A fine steel frame along the north façade will eventually support deciduous creepers and vines.
The bathroom has been designed to create a luxurious bathing experience and a welcome retreat from the often harsh summer and winter temperatures. The material selection uses raw and recycled materials which will be sourced as close to the site as possible. Corrugated iron sheets salvaged from the site will be used to clad the east and west facades and the double height north facing walls will be clad in recycled hardwood timber.
Under construction.
Bayswater, Melbourne
Type: Extension to existing suburban house to provide a teenager retreat , guest stay, study space and kitchenette for future independent living.
Status: Concept Design
This project is an extension to an existing brick veneer town house in an outer eastern suburb of Melbourne. The clients are a family of four which have outgrown the existing house and would like to upgrade to accommodate their changing needs which include a teenage son, multi generational living and working from home. They also love their sunroom, backyard and leafy views out towards the trees and distant mountain ridges. The design works with the level change across the site to create a split level extension containing two bedrooms, ensuite and kitchenette. Careful planning consideration has been given to the bedrooms to ensure they capture the garden views whilst being buffered from the western sun via the stair circulation. The sunroom will be reimagined with new Danpalon roof sheeting and timber framing. A simple material palette of cement sheet, custom orb and coloured sun shading will reflect and reference the back yard garden setting.
Central Qld
Type: Relocatable two or one bedroom house in remote north QLD.
Area: 1 bedroom - 55m2 + 20m2 deck
2 bedroom - 90m2 + 13m2 deck
Budget: Approximately $160,000 - $190,000
Status: Design Development
Designed for my sister who lives on the family property in north QLD. This robust and compact house takes some lessons from the humble work sheds found on the property. A simple rectilinear plan oriented to run east-west, a 2.5m wide deep verandah along the north which shades and protects from the harsh sun yet allows views out much like the brim of an Akubra hat.
The material selection responds to the site orientation with durable metal cladding on the east and west facades, softened by vertical timber along the north and strips of vertical cement sheet along the south. The dimensions and light weight structure have been designed for off-site construction and relocation if required.
The cabin will also be completely off-grid and the energy efficient building envelope will ensure the minimum 3kW solar PV system located on the roof is more than adequate to run the whole building.
I have also designed a one bedroom alternative, see images below.
