“Demolish the entire back section and start again”
the floor plan
This is an old house and the best part is the original Federation cottage at the front. It’s solidly built and faces north east so gets good light through bay windows. To the rear is a large extension with the kitchen and fourth bedroom that is cold in winter, hot in summer and riddled with asbestos. I’d demolish the entire back section and start again. Then I’d suggest a classic layout of bedrooms and formal living at the front off the central corridor – the ‘quiet zone’ – and a brand new extension for living/dining/ entertaining at the back. As the kids get older they can have their own living room and, above the extension, we can have a master suite for the parents. If you’re going up on an old house you often can’t rely on the foundations to bear the weight, but if the addition is new and separate, the builders will have a clean slate.
old vs new
A build is always more efficient and cheaper if you can keep the old and the new separate, rather than trying to stitch them together. And the more space you have to play with the better, so there are no limitations here. I would design the new floor plan with a short glass hallway from the old to the new, with garden either side, and house the new extension in a freestanding pavilion. This will serve to break the space and liberate the new, at the same time maintaining a clear line of sight from front to back. The aspect here could be a challenge, as the back of the house faces south; so with the freestanding pavilion we could have a whole new north-facing wall to the extension that would flood light into the back.
the pool
Aram and Sama are keen to include a pool. I’d suggest putting this in first, as the excavation will be messy, but at least the access is good for the builders. It would be spectacular to have the pool embedded into the back of the house. There would be a lot of regulations to negotiate but it would be beautiful to see the soothing colours and the reflected light from so many parts of the house. I’d love to see a cabana on the back boundary that would overlook the other end of the pool. This could then be used as a multi-functional space – teen retreat or guest accommodation.
the master plan
‘House for life’ is a great brief and any good architect will work with you on a long-term plan. A master plan provides a road map for future development decisions and is important if you need to stagger the budget, or you have long-term ideas about what needs to change as your family grows up.