The project brings together a couple and a mother and daughter to construct a self-contained secondary dwelling, while renovating the existing kitchen and living areas. A deck and an outdoor, undercover laundry complete the brief. Two of the clients, the couple, are established landscape architects, bringing a particular focus to the relationship between building and garden.

The existing house, previously renovated in a “Victorian style,” was structurally sound but defined by a series of incremental additions, resulting in an overly complex roof form. This condition became the point of departure.

The strategy extends the original roofline to the rear boundary, establishing the section of the new dwelling. A cylindrical volume is then subtracted, not only to form a central garden, but to maximise usable landscape while minimising the length of new façade. This reflects both the clients’ priorities and a pragmatic understanding that façade is typically the most expensive component of construction.

The remaining figure defines the new dwelling, reorienting both buildings toward a shared garden and central pond, shifting the primary outlook from west to north. The project becomes a mediation between landscape and building, balancing spatial generosity with economy.