SITE VISIT: I WANT TO MAKE THE MOST OF OUR VIEW
Architect Andrew Benn helps a Sydney family plan for an update to connect their home to the unique heritage surroundings
Architect Andrew Benn advises a family on a rosy outlook inside and out
the story so far
Ally Jackson and her son, Jake, 7, weren’t looking to move until her mum brought a charming 120-year-old cottage on a 500-square-metre block to their attention. Ally fell in love with the formerly Sydney Water-owned property and snapped it up in March last year. The house is perched over the picture-perfect Cooks River, right behind the heritage-listed Cooks River Sewage Aqueduct.
“I love the proportions of some of the rooms, the period details and the high ceilings,” says Ally. “Most of all I just love that view. But you can barely see it from inside! I want to make the most of the outlook from the back of the house and also open up the western side to connect it with the large lawn area, which will become a nice garden. I’d also like to create a space downstairs that could one day be home to a teenage boy.”
what the agent says…
“Once upon a time, this street was pretty unpopular. The houses all back onto Cooks River and for a long time it was a dirty, smelly dumping ground infested with mosquitos. Then, the great clean-up happened – mangroves were replanted and the river banks landscaped. There’s now a footpath and bikeway and the 10 streets that are riverfront are among the most saleable. The aqueduct is a huge part of local history here. People who have lived around here for decades remember when local kids used to run across it! It doesn’t affect the value of the overlooking properties, but the aqueduct does put a limit on the buyer pool because it polarises opinion – some will think it’s magnificent, while others will regard it as an eyesore. Ally’s home is packed with character and quirks. If she is able to keep the historical feel, add some modern luxuries and capitalise on the view, the value can only go skywards.”