If the gate is open, visitors – having glimpsed inside – may enter a somewhat private, somewhat inviting garden courtyard. Here, the studio provides protection from the street; greenery softens the edges; tall battened fencing conceals all but the neighbour’s terracotta rooftop.

A moon of stone paving and a deep timber awning press into the side of the house, bending its glass wall inwards. Dappled shade, pale green bagging and the play of refracted light lend the threshold an aquatic atmosphere that carries into the house.

Inside, space is amorphous. Each of the living areas is a corner of the garden loosely defined by tapering walls and pinched thresholds, expanding to accommodate a home’s modest comforts. An enfilade of study, gallery and dining tie the old house back to the new. The walls and the floors are solid and substantial; everything else is light.

Architecture architecture had a unique and beautiful vision for our home. They led our project creatively and technically but always responded to our needs at every step; the process felt inclusive and collaborative. They have been wonderful architects to work with.

Richard and Rebecca