Presenting as a family compound, this generous double storey house was originally designed in the mid-seventies by the European émigré architect Erwin Kaldor and has been extensively renovated and extended multiple times in the intervening years. Our clients had recently purchased the property with a vision for it to both accommodate their family life with adult children and to host overseas guests, regular family dinners and large functions.

As past renovations had strayed from the original late-modernist palette and sensibility, our approach was to comprehensively replace the interior finishes with a more coherent and natural palette that is both contemporary and sympathetic to the original architecture. We also intervened strategically to reconfigure the ground floor for improved internal amenity and to better accommodate an expansive kitchen and butler’s pantry that anchors the living areas.

The project presented a generational opportunity to upgrade the thermal performance and energy efficiency of the house. Windows and glazing were upgraded to double glazing, external blinds were installed to control solar gain and building services were electrified and powered by a PV and battery system.

year: 2025
builder: Standout Projects
photos: Tatjana Plitt