Coode St Residence

Coode Street Residence

Bayswater, Perth, Western Australia

TL;DR

The Coode Street Residence combines the full renovation of an existing character home with a carefully considered contemporary addition. Delivered in collaboration with Helena Nikola Interior Studio (HNIS), the project balances the intimacy and charm of the original residence with the openness, light and flexibility of contemporary living.

A glazed connection separates the existing home from the new addition, creating a central courtyard that optimises solar access while allowing natural light to penetrate deep into both old and new spaces. The original residence was reconfigured into a dedicated sleeping wing with new bathrooms and supporting amenities, while the addition accommodates light-filled living spaces connected directly to landscape. Defined by a tactile palette of bagged brick, burnished concrete, raw timber and stone, the project demonstrates how contemporary architecture can complement and strengthen the character of an existing home.

Reimagining an Existing Home

The original residence was retained and fully renovated, with new bathrooms and supporting spaces integrated to create a dedicated sleeping wing for the family.

Rather than competing with the character of the existing home, the design allows it to retain its identity while introducing contemporary spaces better suited to modern living.

Light Between Old and New

The addition is connected to the original residence through a long glazed link, creating a central courtyard between the two forms.

This simple move improves solar access, minimises intervention into the existing building and floods both the original home and new addition with natural light. The courtyard becomes the focus of the project, connecting landscape, architecture and everyday life.

Materiality and Atmosphere

The addition contrasts the existing home through a deliberately raw and tactile material palette.

Bagged brick walls, burnished concrete floors, timber battens and a sculptural tiled kitchen island create spaces rich in texture and character. Combined with carefully controlled natural light, the result is an environment that feels warm, grounded and highly experiential.

Simplicity Through Proportion

Externally, the addition relies on proportion, scale and materiality rather than formal complexity.

Simple forms and restrained detailing allow the architecture to feel calm and enduring, while creating a clear distinction between existing and new. The result is a contemporary addition that complements the original residence without imitating it.

A Collaborative Outcome

Developed in close collaboration with Helena Nikola Interior Studio (HNIS), the project was conceived as an integrated architectural and interior response. Material selections, joinery, spatial planning and detailing were considered holistically, creating a home that feels cohesive at every scale.

Architecture Through Contrast

The Coode Street Residence demonstrates how thoughtful additions can strengthen the qualities of existing buildings. By separating old from new, dark from light and traditional from contemporary, the project allows both architectural languages to enrich the appreciation of the other.

The result is a residence that feels simultaneously familiar and unexpected, balancing heritage character with the openness and light of contemporary family living.

Interior Photos can be seen on HNIS website.