The brief for this project called for the demolishment of an existing 30 year old semi-detached house and the erection of a new larger one in its place. As the house sits on a long and narrow plot, the challenge was how to introduce a variety of living spaces with clear demarcation between them, yet allowing light in and reducing incoming views from the adjacent neighbour at the same time.

The solution was to introduce an ‘insertion’ – a beautifully landscaped garden with a tall feature tree, with clear views of it directly from the living, dining areas and the master bedroom.  A feature staircase acts as a divider between the living and dining spaces, with a 8m height double volume ceiling over the dining table. This is experienced as one open space, which is directly connected to the dry kitchen and island counter.  A family room on the second storey overlooks the dining, allowing for connectivity between the floors.