A home for generations

With a modest extension and smart upgrades, this Canberra home is now far more comfortable and ready to evolve with the family’s needs.

When Cath and Andy set out to renovate their 1960s home in suburban Weston, they assumed demolition was the only option. “I really struggled with the idea of knocking down a perfectly good house, plus using all the additional resources that would go into building a new one,” says Cath. Luckily, what began as a knockdown-rebuild plan evolved into a thoughtful retrofit, dramatically improving the home’s performance, comfort and functionality – all while keeping its footprint largely intact.

Heating and cooling had always been a battle. Despite the family’s efforts over 15 years to improve insulation and seal gaps, the house overheated in summer and lost heat within half an hour of switching off the gas heater in winter. Noise from the busy street was also a constant issue. The layout lacked storage, and the laundry was only accessible through the main bedroom. “We had more storage in our previous one-bedroom apartment than we had here,” says Cath.

The team at Light House ArchiScience reimagined the home, lifting its energy rating from 3 to 7.2 Stars while incorporating key future-proofing elements. “The most satisfying thing was showing Andy and Cath that, no, you don’t have to start again,” says Jenny Edwards, director at Light House. “The house had great orientation that we could work with, saving a truckload of money and carbon emissions.” A key focus was ensuring the home could adapt for multigenerational living, allowing for changing family dynamics over time.

Rather than an expensive, resource-intensive rebuild, the renovation plan focused on dramatically improving insulation, airtightness and glazing. “Putting good insulation into the walls, boosting the ceiling insulation and avoiding ducted heating and cooling with its ceiling penetrations that compromise airtightness is really basic building science,” says Jenny.

New high-performance double glazing replaced the original single-pane windows, improving thermal performance and reducing noise. “We don’t do walls of glass in our projects. We optimise the ratio of glazing to floor area while keeping that functional and aesthetic connection to outdoors,” Jenny explains. The window redesign and resizing transformed the home’s interior. “The quality of the light and the way it comes into the house is just beautiful,” says Cath.

Although the house was gutted, the renovation retained much of the original structure, including the timber framing of the walls, ceiling and floors. “We reclaimed all the red bricks from the fireplace and reused them for gardening projects. We’ve tried to make a feature out of them,” says Cath. The kitchen – upgraded ten years ago – remained, minimising waste.

Two small but strategic extensions totalling less than 20 square metres dramatically improved liveability. A new bedroom at the rear forms a J-shaped layout, creating an internal courtyard inspired by the family’s travels in South America. At the front, a small push-out under the eaves created a north-facing window seat to watch the world go by, adding extra space in the lounge room and valuable storage. “It’s such a clever way to extend a space by just a very small area while massively increasing the functionality,” says Jenny.

A timber batten screen adjacent to the front door provides privacy, with another built-in seat for storage. “Previously, when you opened the front door, you walked straight into our lounge. Now, there’s a sense of separation,” says Cath.

Beyond comfort, the renovation ensured the home could evolve over time. A newly created multipurpose room was part of this vision. Currently used as an extra living area, it has been designed so that a galley kitchen can be added in the future. A hallway door could be installed to separate the rear wing from the rest of the house, making it suitable for independent living, a future rental or changing family needs. “Having that multipurpose space was a big selling point of the design. We really needed a second living area for the kids as they grow older,” says Cath.

“Homes that can adapt over time become so much more valuable,” explains Jenny. “Future-proofing with flexible spaces ensures the house remains practical without the need for major structural changes down the track.” [Ed note: see Jenny’s article ‘Two homes from one’ in Sanctuary 69 for more on this design approach.]

For Cath and Andy, improving energy efficiency wasn’t just about comfort – it was about reducing their carbon footprint by transitioning off gas. The couple replaced all gas appliances with efficient electric alternatives, including a new induction cooktop. Andy says the switch away from gas cooking has improved his asthma. Energy use in the home has reduced by 71 per cent, and bills have fallen by around $1,500 a year.

By embracing smart design and all-electric systems, Cath and Andy’s home is ready to meet the needs of future generations. “We used to spend a lot of time away, probably because the house just wasn’t a very nice place to be. Now we spend a lot of time at home, because we actually enjoy being here,” says Cath.