Projects / Residential / Hurlstone Park

Hurlstone Park Triangle

This unusual triangular site in Hurlstone Park came with heritage constraints, major setbacks and a geometry that resisted easy answers. Navigating the NSW Housing Code while responding to trees, neighbours and the nearby Metro line demanded a clear, strategic approach. The result is a home that balances old and new through smart planning, thoughtful separation and a bold yet sensitive addition.

The Hurlstone Park Triangle came with a shape all its own — a right-angle triangle with its longest side facing the street. Under the NSW Housing Code, a wide frontage means significant front setbacks, which pushed the build further back than ideal on an already challenging geometry. Add in proximity to heritage items, large established trees and the upgraded Metro line immediately behind the property, and the brief required not just creativity, but precision.

The site originally held a 1920s two-bedroom California Bungalow. To meet the client’s bold vision while respecting the budget, we added a new two-storey structure to the west and reconfigured the original cottage. The home now has:

A luxurious master suite upstairs in the new addition
A light-filled living area below it, opening onto the western garden
Three more bedrooms in the original cottage
A dedicated dining space
A new kitchen that opens to the northern garden
A newly tiled pool

A deliberate break between the heritage cottage and the new volume preserves the integrity of both. The addition is wrapped in shou sugi ban timber, allowing it to sit quietly among the trees — reading as a dark, recessive form rather than competing with the original building.

Challenging sites often spark the smartest ideas, and this project is a clear example of how constraints can generate a richer, more thoughtful design outcome.

LocationHurlstone Park

TypeResidential

Photos5

SheetPRJ-08

Fig. 01 The back door. Natural timbers in contrast, from the varnished red cedar door to the charred timber weatherboards, make the entry easy to find from the rear.

Dark charred timber lets the addition blend into the shadows of the existing trees. — Fig. 01 The back door. Natural timbers in contrast, from the varnished red cedar door to the charred timber weatherboards, make the entry easy to find from the rear.

Photos

Fig. 03 A comfortable, modern family kitchen, opening onto a dining space in the original 1920s California Bungalow.

Fig. 04 Monochrome finishes are striking and bold, and make the surfaces and cabinetry easy to read.

Fig. 05 The addition matches the ridge height of the original bungalow, with a clear break between the two buildings. The stair sits in that break, linking them together.

Hurlstone Park Triangle

Talk to Greg about your project