Located in the heart of Sydney’s Inner West, nestled within the historic ‘Valley’ Neighbourhood of Rozelle. Clare Street Cottage is emblematic of the preservation and restoration of the late Victorian workers’ cottage in Sydney.

New works are sympathetic in scale, form and architectural detail with a clear physical distinction between old and new. The two storey addition is recessive from the original cottage, consisting of two gabled roof forms, with brick and zinc facades that create a distinct material differentiation to the existing weatherboard cottage.

Central to the design of the Clare Street house is the sculptural black staircase, serving as the central spine to the house pulling together the front and rear spaces of the home.The new structures are starkly modern with material applications representing a dichotomous relationship between the owners of past and present. A former workers cottage, now bespoke luxury home each working in unison to deepen the history of its surroundings. 

Builder: Fulcrum Constructions

Photographer: Luc Remond

Year of Completion: 2017

Project Team: Paul Connor, Rose Peppitt, Harriet Kensell