Eucalyptus House is a project that expands family living spaces and improves connection to backyard areas and the beautiful adjacent bushland.

The new extension respects the scale and form of the original house and adds a contemporary built form to capture northern sun and gum tree views.   The building sits in context with the surrounding eucalyptus forest, using spotted-gum vertical cladding and a colour palette referencing the native bushland. The light-filled interiors are softened by hardwood vertical screens, which filter and decorate the passage of the sunshine, while an assemblage of green and pink hues re-create a eucalyptus patina.

By removing a cold, single-glazed sun room that was unsuitable for the extreme Canberra climate, a new bright and spacious living room that captures the warmth of the northern winter sun was afforded. The new extension allows for easy summertime outdoor living and large family gatherings.  The flow of the new kitchen, dining and living spaces spills outside to previously underutilised recreation and garden areas. 

The interior of the existing house, which had been a labyrinth of dark, enclosed spaces, was remodelled to create a contemporary, open-plan, modern family home. Joyful small details, like the picture window seat, provide intimate and cosy spaces to sit and frame views through the backyard to the bushland reserve beyond.

Ben King Photography