May
At PlaceMate, we create spaces that people can truly call home. Whether you’re looking to renovate a Queenslander worker’s cottage or build a brand-new home, we have the expertise and creativity to make your vision a reality. We’ll take you on a tour of a stunning renovated Queenslander and introduce you to our innovative extending a Queenslander using the cottage pod renovation strategy.
Hi, I’m Jan Hogarth from PlaceMate Architects. I’m a renovations specialist architect, and today I’m talking about a really cool way to extend your house when you need more space.
The Burrow: Now, when the Weasleys needed more space, they had a nice little cottage and then they built an extension. I can tell you now, this will never get through Brisbane City Council because it’s over 9 1/2 meters, but today, I’ve got three samples of projects that we’ve actually designed and built in Brisbane. They’re all inner urban, they’re all Queenslander worker’s cottages and they’re all small lots.
The original cottages are quite small and they’ve been added onto over the years but we’ve kept the core of that house exactly the same. We are not lifting and building underneath. We’ve added a new wing as a new piece of construction at the back.
Extending a Queenslander Using The Cottage Pod Renovation Strategy in Bardon
Here we are in Bardon. It’s a Queenslander worker’s cottage and It’s had a bit of a life. It’s close to the ground and It’s really close to the boundary. We kept that pretty much the same and just redecorated it. We built a two-story extension in the same kind of style with a veranda up the top, a new master suite, and a living area that just flowed through. The veranda was opened up because it was so pretty and then we built a replica one at the back. The beauty of extending a Queenslander using the cottage pod renovation strategy is you can get a really nice big open-plan kitchen, living, and dining room. In addition, at the back of the pod, you can look right down the hallway to the park across the street. Before this kind of house, never had that sort of space. That’s what you’re looking for when you get your renovation because it’s long-term value.
Renovating an Inner-Urban Home with Constraints
Our next project is a Cottage and Pod on a smaller inner-urban lot that benefits from a beautiful parkland and creek at the rear. Despite the strict budget and flood zone location, we overcame the challenge of being unable to lift and build underneath by constructing an extension. We created a seamless link between the existing and new build with careful planning and compliance with safety guidelines. The renovation resulted in a functional home with a spacious open-plan kitchen, living and dining area, and a lovely deck overlooking the parkland.
Renovating a Worker’s Cottage into a Spacious Home in St. Lucia
We worked on one of the most challenging projects in St. Lucia, where the owners needed more space for their teenage sons. The cottage was a classic central corridor design with four bedrooms at the back and several verandas that needed repairs. The owners wanted to keep the heritage features of the house while adding a two-story extension to accommodate their growing family.
Renovated Queenslander Worker’s Cottage, St. Lucia
The challenge with this project was that the house was very close to the boundary, so raising the house would require extensive modifications to comply with current building codes. So we decided to leave the house in the same place, saving the owners a lot of money and making the town planning approval process much more manageable.
We created three new bedrooms and a sitting room inside the house, which could be accessed separately when the owners had students staying with them. The main entry was up the side of the house and led to a living area, kitchen, and dining room that opened onto the veranda and out to the back.
Queenslander Worker’s Cottage + Pod Extension St. Lucia
The finished product was a beautiful Queenslander that retained its heritage features while accommodating a modern family’s needs. Cottage and pod is not a strategy that works for every property, but it can be an excellent solution for those looking to add more space to their homes without compromising style or functionality.
Benefits Of Extending A Queenslander Using The Cottage Pod Renovation Strategy
So, if you’re considering a home renovation and you want to talk through these details, request a site visit, so that PlaceMate Architects can help make it come together in a really effortless way!
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