Dunstan Avenue Renovation | Gardiner Architects

Brunswick Home Transformation: A Compact and Sustainable Renovation

This project sees a worn out 1920s weatherboard house in Brunswick revitalised, turning it into a functional, flexible, and sustainable home for a professional couple and their young child. Despite its original limitations—cramped rooms, poor garden access, and structural disrepair—the home’s location and character made it worth preserving.

The clients wanted a practical, modestly sized home with improved functionality, including a proper laundry, better living spaces, and room to grow. By retaining the main structure and creating a new single-story extension, the design now offers three flexible rooms, open-plan living, a couple study nooks, and a stronger connection to the outdoors. Vaulted ceilings with skylights maximise access to northern light, while custom plywood joinery enhances storage and space efficiency.

Sustainability was central to the project. The original building fabric was retained to reduce waste, and eco-friendly materials such as sustainably sourced timber was used. Passive solar principles, rainwater tanks, solar panels, and improved insulation further enhanced the energy efficiency of the home.

The result is a warm, cohesive, and thoughtfully crafted home that feels spacious and meets the family’s evolving needs. This transformation highlights how innovative, sustainable design can create a future-ready home without compromising comfort or character and all within a small footprint.