Princes Hill House

Through the use of skylights, this renovation loosens the typical terrace house plan to achieve wider and brighter spaces.

The terrace house typology is characterised by a ‘shot-gun’ plan comprised of a long corridor and stacked rooms. Rooms typically narrow in width towards the rear of the site, making way for a light court that room windows look out onto. These light courts are often not wide enough to be used for anything other than a service space, and they significantly compromise room sizes internally.

In this project, we have opted to replace the narrow, rear rooms and light court on the ground floor with a full-width, open-plan space that draws light from above [1]. It instils a feeling of generosity and openness to the experience of space and liberates the terrace house from its former ‘shotgun’ plan.

Another key driver of the Princes Hill House was to absorb the Lemon Scented Gum into the living areas. A set of full height and width bifolding windows occupy the threshold between inside and outside, allowing the living area to extend out and encompass the spectacular tree. The flush finish decking and recessed curtain track, though simple in appearance, are highly detailed components that support this seamless threshold.