Prince George Renovation
Blackheath, Blue Mountains
NSW

Light, airy, and full of sunlit warmth in the winter.

By reconfiguring and extending this once cold and dark worker’s cottage, a a much-loved home has been revived to capture light and solar warmth, to create spaces for easy living. Driven by a desire for passive solar design, and a respect for its heritage context, the refreshed and extended cottage combines the best of past, present and future.

EXTERIOR

Prince George Renovation is composed of three identifiable parts. The original cottage, the new addition, and the link. Working within the local council heritage parameters, the original cottage was renovated to retain two new, north facing bedrooms whilst its original horizontal, weatherboard façade was restored to preserve and celebrate its bygone character.

 The new addition was built to the south of the existing cottage and provides a series of more modern open-plan living spaces that encourage easy movement throughout the house. High windows on its northern facade flood the living space with sunlight, helping create an area that is light, airy, and full of sunlit warmth in the winter. Alongside a wood-fired burner, a warm and cosy living space offers an energy efficient sanctuary to relax in the winter months. In summer eaves help reduce solar heat gain, keeping the inside temperature cool on otherwise sweltering days.

To complement the existing with the existing weatherboard clad cottage, a similar shiplap weatherboard façade has been applied to the new extension however in a new vertical arrangement. Connecting the original cottage to the new extension, a low lying and set-back form ties the house together as a single home. New blackbutt floorboards have been installed throughout; dissolving the boundary between new and old to create a seamless progression of spaces.

Involved in the design process from the start, the owners of Prince George Renovation have received many compliments from neighbours and the local community since completion. We couldn’t have imagined a better outcome for this beloved worker’s cottage turned modern housing sanctuary.