A horizontal study of connection, landscape and quiet leisure.

Set within an expansive, tree-lined site in Forestdale, 27–29 is conceived as a unified composition of old and new—two buildings that coexist across a generous piece of land and are tied together through a light, deliberate connecting walkway. The front residence remains as the primary dwelling, while the new single-storey extension unfolds across the rear of the site, opening toward landscape, sky and a central pool terrace.

The project is designed as a horizontal architecture, taking advantage of the site’s scale and calm topography. The new building adopts a U-shaped plan, wrapping around the pool and creating a protected courtyard that becomes the social and visual heart of the home. Each wing is organised with clarity and purpose, allowing living, dining, guest and retreat zones to operate independently, while the courtyard, deep eaves and controlled openings bring the spaces back into a cohesive whole.

Light is treated as a primary material. Large apertures and a layered landscape strategy draw daylight deep into the interior, producing a soft domestic luminosity that shifts gently throughout the day. Breezes pass through the U-shape, providing natural ventilation and an ease of occupation that suits the site’s suburban, semi-rural character. Privacy is managed through siting, orientation and planting—ensuring the pool and living areas remain sheltered from the presence of the front residence and neighbouring properties.

Materially, the new works take cues from the existing home while refining them for contemporary use:

• soft timber tones

• pale cladding and stone elements

• pitched roof forms

• subtle textures that ground the house within its landscape

The architecture aims to feel familiar yet elevated—anchored by the existing home, but reinterpreted through a more open, resort-like sensibility.

The front portion of the site accommodates a new tennis court, extending the family’s recreational life and reinforcing the generous scale of the land. The connecting walkway becomes a transitional device—a moment of calm between the two dwellings, framed by planting and open sky. It mediates movement while underscoring the idea that the site is experienced as a whole, not as two separate structures.

At its essence, 27–29 Forestdale is a project about landscape, connection and the quiet luxury of single-level living. Through its U-shaped form, its soft material palette and its relationship to the pool and gardens, the home becomes a place of ease—where existing and new elements align to create a cohesive, serene and enduring family environment.