Westgarth Renovation
Reconfigurations and energy-efficiency upgrades made a huge difference to the liveability of this 76m2 1970s villa unit. Read more about this project in our Articles section.
This 2 bedroom villa unit belongs to Tochi architect Jeremy Wells and his partner, who undertook a slow transformation of the home, doing most of the work themselves. All work was done within the existing 76m2 footprint, and recycled materials were used extensively. The spatial modifications involved the removal of walls to create a combined kitchen and laundry, which greatly improved the natural light, sense of space and functionality. The new kitchen has more bench space and storage and integrates with a dining bench seat which allows for a large dining table even in the limited space available. The kitchen now has direct access to an outdoor deck, made from reclaimed merbau.
The renovation also resulted in huge improvements to energy-efficiency; Tochi did thermal modelling to determine how to bring the existing 4.2 Star rating to 8.1 Stars, a theoretical improvement of 78%! This was achieved by adding insulation to the roof, walls and subfloor, and installing double-glazed timber windows with extra glazing to the north. We also did a lot of draft-sealing, installed curtains and pelmets, and replaced the ducted gas heating with an efficient reverse-cycle air conditioner. The next step is to get off gas completely by installing a heat pump hot water heater and an induction cooktop.
All photographs by Monica Styles.
The concrete benchtop for the kitchen was poured in place as one piece. The cupboard fronts were made from recycled Blackbutt by 16 Bays.
Spotted gum cladding offcuts from a project in Coburg were used to make this dining bench seat with handy storage below.
A built in dining bench seat is a great way to save space on a small footprint - and provides useful storage space as well.
The rangehood is clad with floorboards salvaged from this project.
For the front door, we inserted double-glazed reeded glass into an old cedar door which we restored.
The bookshelves were made from Blackbutt flooring offcuts from a restaurant project in the city. The grooves in the floorboards add character to the shelving.
The kitchen splashback is made from terra cotta floor tiles salvaged from a nearby renovation project.
By removing the laundry walls and replacing the back door with a glazed door, we were able to bring much more northern sunshine into the house.
