Alchemy Consulting are Architects for an alteration and addition to a beach front dwelling at Culburra Beach on the NSW South Coast. Director of Alchemy, Steven Bayer worked on the design and construction of the original house, completed in 2004, and 17 years later, was approached by the client to design some significant additional spaces. As the client put it, he wanted to “get the band back together”, including the builder of the original house, Martin Leedham.
The strength of relationships, and the trust in each other’s abilities, meant that this project would have less stress than with a new team.
As time passed, the needs of the Owners evolved, and additional bedrooms, bathrooms, living space and vehicle storage were required. The design of the original house allowed a significant proportion of new works to be accommodated within existing structural framing systems, thereby eliminating the need to demolish existing building parts. This resulted in a more sustainable solution using existing materials, and a more subtle extension of the existing house for neighbours.
The project is now under construction, with concrete slabs complete and roof/wall framing well underway. Utilising existing forms as precedents, the project sits comfortably with the existing house, providing contemporary and comfortable spaces for the Owners.
