Hawthorne Cottage Renovation

Brisbane, Australia

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Hawthorne Cottage Renovation

Brisbane, Australia

Firm

Dion Seminara Architecture

Type

Residential › Private House

YEAR

2012

Sitting just a short drive from the heart of Queensland’s capital of Brisbane, this beautifully renovated home in the suburb of Hawthorne has been designed by Dion Seminara Architecture to make the utmost of the gorgeous sub-tropical climate.

This style of house is known as a ‘Queenslander’ and is typified by high ceilings, verandahs and being raised off the ground. The design of these homes is wonderfully eco-friendly, well ahead of their time. They shelter the windows and walls from the often harsh direct sunlight, whilst letting cool breezes circulate through and under the home. However as good as the original design was, it wasn't particularly modern inside and as a result was not overly comfortable for the occupants.

However a series of renovations since the year 2000 have transformed the interior of this home, giving it a beautifully contemporary feel, whilst keeping with the character of the original property.

This home has been renovated to be at one with its environment, both in terms of climatic conditions as well as its visual place in the suburb where it located.

There are no shortage of well thought out design features from the light and breeze capturing clerestory above the kitchen to the simply divine bathroom that wouldn't look out of place in any of the world’s finest hotels. But perhaps the most fascinating feature of all is the upper level casual living area.

Queensland can be quite hot and humid, but is blessed with sea breezes that, when harnessed by the right design, can render artificial cooling almost completely unnecessary. However the cooler months can be quite chilly and a well designed home needs to cater for both conditions.

To take advantage of this, the casual living area features timber shutters and concertina windows, instead of traditional walls. This allows the space to open up almost completely as if it were a deck off the back of the home. Cooling breezes and natural light are able to flood into the area giving it that healthy outdoor feel with all the comforts that you would expect in a modern home. On the cooler days these shutters and windows keep the cold air out whilst letting the lower winter sun to shine in and naturally heat the home.

A deck situated off this area completes the unique connection this home has to the outdoors allowing the occupants to comfortably feel at one with nature.