Muriel at Newtown NSW by Amrish Maharaj Architecture

Houses

The facade of the house is dwelling in inner-city Newtown.

Project Team
Amrish Maharaj Architecture
Riverside Building
Burgess Arnott and Grava Engineering
Vikram Hingmire Photography

Status
Completed 2019

About Amrish Maharaj Architecture

Amrish Maharaj Architecture was established in 2016 with a commitment to creating better spaces through innovation and consultation.

Our key skills involve producing unique and refined architectural solutions from individual client requirements and site constraints.

A small team of dedicated designers with complementing expertise ensures quality and commitment to clients.

The ground floor is entirely made of exposed brick as viewed from the street.
The ground floor is entirely made of exposed brick as viewed from the street.
The stairs lead to the higher floor once you have passed the entryway.
The stairs lead to the higher floor once you have passed the entryway.
The wooden designed dining room is right beside the stairs.
The wooden designed dining room is right beside the stairs.
Next to the dining table is the white-colored kitchen.
Next to the dining table is the white-colored kitchen.
The view extends past the living room to the garden and a quilt work brick wall at the rear boundary.
The view extends past the living room to the garden and a quilt work brick wall at the rear boundary.
The addition's center is illuminated by extra skylights installed over the stair void.
The addition’s center is illuminated by extra skylights installed over the stair void.
Here is the clear angle of the skylights.
Here is the clear angle of the skylights.
On the bathroom's floor with a hexagonal design, a tub that fits nicely.
On the bathroom’s floor with a hexagonal design, a tub that fits nicely.
A sink with a toilet next to it makes up another area of the bathroom.
A sink with a toilet next to it makes up another area of the bathroom.
A quilt work brick wall at the rear entrance of the house.
A quilt work brick wall at the rear entrance of the house.
The detailed floor plan of the Muriel house.
The detailed floor plan of the Muriel house.

The owners of ‘Muriel’, a 4m wide single storey semi-detached dwelling in inner-city Newtown, made the most of their space for two years, before the arrival of their first child and the need to extend.

Like many homes in the area, the rear of the original house comprised of a series of poorly planned additions and service spaces that provided no direct connection to the rear garden. A narrow external side access meant that ‘Muriel’ was left with a 2m wide living room followed by an equally restricted and severely outdated kitchen and bathroom.

Works included the demolition of the non-original rear addition, and the design and construction of an efficiently planned new dining, living and kitchen to ground floor, and two new bedrooms and a bathroom above.

A light well courtyard separates the new addition and celebrates the old. With additional skylights placed over the stair void, the heart of the addition is flooded with light, despite being built to both side boundaries.

When told of the blood, sweat and tears the owners put into exposing the bricks of the party wall when they purchased the house, we endeavoured to retain and extend this feature as the natural spine of the home.

Entering from the street, the exposed brick extends the full length of the ground floor, taking you past the original two bedrooms, now a study and large family bathroom. Arriving at the dining room, the view extends past the kitchen and living room to the garden and a quilt work brick wall at the rear boundary providing a sense of space not expected in such a narrow property.

The name ‘Muriel’ came from the nameplate on the original house. From historical searches we discovered that she was the original owner of the home. We often joked that she was over-seeing construction works, to ensure that it was all done to the highest standard.

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