Developed through close collaboration with highly engaged owners, the project evolved through continual testing of material, colour and occupation. The clients lived in the original cottage for a year before construction, allowing seasonal conditions, light, wind and the constraints of a small house to shape the brief. An emphasis on restraint guided these decisions, focusing on building only what was necessary and avoiding surplus in both space and material.Replacing a dilapidated cottage beyond repair, the new house retains traces of the original through salvaged hardwood, reworked into smaller elements within the interior. A modest budget encouraged precision, with limited palette and straightforward construction methods carefully assembled to create rhythm, variation and quiet richness. A single muted exterior tone reinforces the house’s calm presence within the street.Arrival is mediated by a courtyard positioned between entry, garage and secondary living spaces. An operable screen provides privacy, allowing this threshold to shift between workspace, gathering space and garden room. Rather than functioning as a transitional zone, the courtyard becomes the organisational centre of the house, linking movement, outlook and occupation across seasons. Beyond, the angophora is revealed gradually and remains a constant point of orientation throughout.Sectionally, the house tapers with the natural fall of the site, allowing internal volumes to shift subtly while maintaining a measured external form. Openings, screens and planting work together to filter light, soften boundaries and reinforce a sense of enclosure. The result is a home that balances economy with generosity, restraint with warmth, and durability with everyday adaptability.

Location: Como NSW

Dharawal Country

Completed: 2025

Builder: Revive Building Projects

Engineering: Greenview Consulting

Photography: Andy Macpherson