Repurposed Elements

Once a humble miner's cottage, the Tighes Hill Recycled House in Newcastle, NSW, underwent a significant renovation and expansion, transforming into a much-loved two-storey family home. Owner-builder Matthew Wegner and his wife Alex turned to his architect sister Vanessa Wegner at Sydney-based architectural firm, Vanessa Wegner Architect, to help them reimagine the space.  © Katherine Lu The brief was simple: renovate and improve the home to accommodate their family of four. “The cottage had a dilapidated 1960s rear extension full of asbestos,” Vanessa explains. “They wanted a functional, comfortable family home but didn’t have a strict design brief. Optimising the views to the park and reusing as muc... More