3 minute read
Home
cover story
The fully reburnished 1940s cottage still has the original timber floors, along with a fully restored fireplace. Photos by Adam McGrath of H Creations. Images supplied by Master Builders ACT. The new pavilion extension features a flowing, open plan with contemporary elements.
The red brick 1940s cottage is internally linked to the pavilion extension with floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
Award-winning project blends old and new
WITH HOME EDITOR, ERIN CROSS
This recently renovated threebedroom family home in leafy Ainslie blends contemporary elements with architectural history, in harmony with the heritage charm of one of Canberra’s oldest suburbs.
Originally an 89sqm red brick 1940s cottage, Cox Architecture redesigned Ainslie House to respect and retain the streetscape character while introducing strong contemporary elements to the setting.
Built by Manteena, the renovation and extension project saw the construction of a pavilion extension, alterations, and renovations to the existing cottage, plus the addition of carports, decks, and landscaping.
Danny Agnello, Residential Operations Manager at Manteena, said that the owners, who are architects themselves, wanted to keep the presence of the old 1940s cottage with a strong focus on open plan living, straight lines and natural materials.
“It was more about restoring it back to what the original 1940s cottage would have been ... We matched all of the same finishes but with brand new stuff,” Mr Agnello said.
“A lot of the inside of that cottage isn’t perfect but that’s kind of the beauty of it. That’s what drew them [the owners] to the property originally.”
The existing cottage has been fully refurbished by removing the old kitchen and bathroom, as well as non-structural internal walls, creating a further two bedrooms, a renovated bathroom, study, art studio, and a formal sitting room.
The original 1940s timber flooring remains in the cottage along with the fully restored fireplace and custom-made copies of the original doors.
Linked internally, the new pavilion extension features a flowing, open plan with exposed structural beams, raw concrete, a custom kitchen bench top and herringbone hardwood floors with hydronic heating.
“It’s very minimalistic but very tight tolerances, everything is designed to line up with something,” Mr Agnello said.
Ainslie House Project Manager, Anthony Aloe, said the complex details of the extension were the most intricate aspects of the project.
“Our biggest struggle with the new extension was probably a lot of those materials were exposed and finished products,” Mr Aloe said.
“It all had to be set out essentially to the millimetre. There was no forgiveness in that.”
While Manteena specialises in bespoke and unusual construction projects, Mr Agnello said it was the most detailed and unique residential project the company has worked on.
The fusion of contemporary design and Canberra heritage history saw Ainslie House receive a Judges Commendation from Master Builders ACT for a
Renovation/Extension more than $1 million in 2020. Ainslie House was also awarded
Project of the Year 2020 for
Renovation/Addition at the HIA
Housing Awards. Mr Agnello said the recognition
Manteena had received from the project was “great” as there were a lot of misconceptions surrounding renovations and extensions. “Especially with shows like
The Block, people have a very misconstrued view on how much work is in renovation,” he said. “People probably have rosecoloured glasses and say ‘you should be doing that in six months’, which is not really that possible on things like this, especially when you’re talking about highly bespoke custom projects.”
Find more photos online at canberraweekly.com.au
