Rebuilding a sense of timelessness.

Bringing new life to a heritage structure is always a dance between the old and the new. In the case of this early 20th century limestone heritage home, the surrounding Fremantle limestone geology and the vernacular of old building techniques required thoughtful and sympathetic design.

This large, monastic addition is respectfully woven into the fabric of the original limestone walls. The existing limestone walls are now interwoven with a master suite, ensuite and walk-though robes, which were thoughtfully dovetailed into them. The quietness achieved with the thick masonry walls, both old and new, provide a timeless escape to a parallel place, removed and protected from the hustle and bustle of life. Living here, you could almost be anywhere, anytime, even as the character of the home tells a clear story of the local area. 

Leveraging old materials for new efficiencies. 

The whole home now benefits from passive solar principles, with northern sun angles expertly calculated so as to be warm in winter, shaded in summer and just right in the shoulder seasons. The design takes clever advantage of the massive thermal mass of all the masonry, and is fitted with energy efficient glass and cavity insulation everywhere, and topped off with insulation in two layers in the roof. This heritage home now boasts a house energy efficiency rating of 6.1 - an incredible achievement in such an old structure.