This alteration on an intensely urban site reimagines a pair of heritage two-storey Edwardian townhouses joined by a brick party wall. A contemporary addition to the rear completes an L-shaped courtyard house that wraps around a swimming pool and outdoor terrace.

The contemporary language of the addition forms a strong contrast between old and new, while very few interventions have been made to the exterior of the street-facing townhouses. The entrance remains in its original position on the northern side of the site and rooms inside have been reconfigured to retain existing external openings and to provide a memory of the way the houses were originally organised. The concealed brick party wall was painstakingly taken apart and reinstated in its original position and a brick chimney was also rebuilt during the renovations. A limited palette of materials across the heritage townhouses and addition — brick, timber (cedar and oak) and tiles —unify spaces while achieving textural contrast.