Anne Clisby Architects were tasked with renovating and extending a semi-attached Edwardian house in Northcote, Melbourne. The brief called for a four-bedroom family house that could transition into an empty-nester residence, complete with two individual studies to allow for remote work.

The design centres around an existing chimney and hearth, with an added first-floor terrace providing views of the city. The second-floor extension is designed to reduce overshadowing to neighbouring residences, with a Mondrian art screen moderating the hot western sun. A three-dimensional scale sketch model in cardboard was used to test and explain the design with clients.