The house now measures 5,600 sq ft, which includes 1,450 sq ft of outdoor space, and has five bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms. Prior to the renovation, the property consisted of the original house, plus an addition that was built in the 1990s. Mak and Scott demolished the latter, which by today’s standards had an outdated look and feel, creating extensions that would both seamlessly integrate with the original home while also speaking to the site’s history.

The original home is used by the client as a private family wing, housing the children’s bedrooms. A new, north-facing ground floor space houses the kitchen and dining area, as well as living spaces made to accommodate entertaining. The space spills out onto a secluded courtyard, complete with a pool. Meanwhile, a master suite and guest suite, which are built as second-storey spaces, are created as separate volumes—they are located on either end of the new part of the home, accessible via separate entrances.

Like the original house, the second-storey spaces are built using brick. They have angled roofs, which feature raw, galvanised roof sheeting, mimicking the gabled roof forms and materials of the original house.

The angles are designed in such a way that means they are not visible from ground level when the house is seen from the streetfront, which is in keeping with local authorities’ guidance on a uniform look and feel of heritage homes in the area, but that’s not all. Privacy and a sense of security were important considerations for the client, and the second-storey spaces shield the courtyard from view of the multi-storey developments that neighbour the property, reinforcing a sense of privacy, says Scott.

The two bedrooms are not connected—a deliberate decision that again was inspired by the desire for privacy.

Back in the original house, the brick, timber fretwork and windows were restored. Inside, the original press metal ceilings were retained, while the cast-iron fireplaces were restored, with marble hearths added. An exposed original brick wall sits in the new entrance hall, a space that connects the old home with the new. The staircase’s design is an “expression of the original character of the home”, says Mak—it features a carpet made of custom yak wool and silk blend.

The kitchen and dining spaces are designed to flow into the courtyard, blurring the boundary between indoor and outdoor living, says Mak. Oversized glazed doors, measuring about 14 metres, also mean the home is flooded with natural light, adds Scott. These spaces—which the duo consider one of the biggest changes made to the home—were designed with the client’s love of cooking, dining and entertaining in mind; their children also now have plentiful outdoor space to play in.

The newly created living space and master suite, featuring perforated brick screens, are among Mak and Scott’s favourite parts of the home—the feature “adds a beautiful textural quality to the interiors, providing everchanging light patterns throughout the day”, says Mak; it also ensures ventilation and airflow, says Scott.

Meanwhile, the powder room has “real drama”, says Mak. It is hidden behind a flush, frameless door, opening up to reveal Verde Alpi marble, a coveted variety of marble from Italy, and deep olive-coloured glossy tiles. With the space being used primarily by guests, it offered “an opportunity to create a powerful and distinct moment”.

The biggest challenge of the project was in “coordinating the connection between the heritage building and the new addition”, says Scott, as was the process behind the selection of materials and details for the joinery, thresholds and doors, and in ensuring they “respond to each other yet stay unique”, says Mak. “The modern addition was to be distinct, yet respond to the context of the original house,” adds Scott.

A year-long delay as a result of the pandemic posed difficulties, as did the fact that Mak and Scott worked on the project remotely from Hong Kong while travel restrictions were in place. But along with the lows, there were highs. The most memorable part of the project for the duo took place early on: “Standing in the retained heritage portion of the home, looking out onto the empty site after the existing house [built in the 1990s] had been knocked down”, remembers Scott. 

“No matter how many times you see the demolition process, it’s always an adrenaline rush,” says Mak. “And elation for what is to come.”

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