Drummoyne Federation Waterfront Reimagined
A Federation home on a rare waterfront-facing block in Drummoyne. Layered with decades of mismatched additions, yet full of untapped potential. A complete reimagining that reconnects the home with its views, light and landscape.
Some homes feel a little like an archaeological dig — layers of ideas, additions from different eras and changes made with the best intentions, but not always the best outcomes. This Federation home in Drummoyne had all the fundamentals: a generous block, elevated views across parkland to the water and the foundations of a comfortable family residence. Yet years of piecemeal renovations had left it feeling disjointed and out of sync with its exceptional location.
Despite its north-facing living areas, the home lacked shade and overheated easily. The internal layout felt squeezed, with a kitchen that had crept into the dining space and no room in the house that truly reflected the generous scale of the site. Key outlooks towards the water were blocked or poorly framed, and many openings were either undersized or out of proportion. It was a good home — but it had the potential to be an extraordinary one.
Our design response begins with the natural qualities of the site. We reoriented the home to embrace the garden, reconnect with the water views and make full use of natural light while introducing well-considered shade. Inside, new and reconfigured living areas create a calmer, more spacious flow. Improved window and door placements strengthen the visual connection to the outdoors, while internal light-sharing strategies brighten the home throughout the day.
Materials are selected to complement the existing Federation cottage while ensuring construction efficiency, longevity and a cohesive aesthetic. Passive low-energy principles are central to the design, including earth coupling, high-performance insulation, cross-flow ventilation, strategic shading and onsite water storage. Provision is also made for active environmental systems such as photovoltaic panels to further reduce the home’s long-term energy footprint.
Externally, a contemporary rear addition creates generous, functional spaces and establishes a more coherent relationship between the house and the garden. Covered access to parking, a revitalised pool area, new fencing and a significant reworking of the front façade form a holistic transformation — one that gently removes decades of accumulated compromises and replaces them with clarity, comfort and a renewed sense of place.
It was important to renew the front of the house. We included new, safer handrails and taller doors with new sidelights. Uncomfortable projections on the ground and first floor have been transformed into bay windows to embrace the water and park views. No shading is required as they face due south. Modified front fence with sandstone capping and rubble render.
Out the back, the pool adjoins the dining area. This will be shaded with a fixed mesh screen to provide safety to the glass of the dining and also external window shading
Lounge looking towards kitchen and dining areas.
Highlight windows provide an opportunity to ventilate the roof. The external verandah provides much-needed shade to the north