St Ives, Sydney, Australia, 1986–1988

The “Hay House“, designed in 1949 and completed in 1953 was the first completed building by the architect and furniture designer Douglas Snelling. It was also the childhood home of the client for this project. The house , which predates the famed “Sydney School“ period, was carefully restored and sympathetic alterations and additions were undertaken in 1986 to create a new living area, three new bedrooms and bathroom. Crucial to the success of the project was an understanding of the plan form and detail of Snelling’s Architecture, and its relationship to the surrounding natural and designed landscape. The new addition was placed on a platform that was established as part of the 1949 landscape plan, and its proportions, material and detail merge with the original.