This was a serious renovation. Presented with a traditional 1970s layout — pokey, dark, poorly arranged spaces — we were tasked with creating a light, bright, functional family home, while also making the most of fabulous views out to the adjacent park. It’s rare to be able to deliver light, open living, intimacy, and a stunning outlook all in one renovation, making this result at Ruffey Lake House all the more satisfying.

For this brief, the existing house was unsuitable to a modern way of life. Rather than demolishing the home — which had some great architectural bones — we essentially removed and rebuilt the entire upper floor, to enable spaces more suited to a modern lifestyle. The ground floor would contain the living spaces — which worked with the existing split-level suspended floor slab to define new kitchen, dining, and living areas — with quieter private spaces, such as the library, music room and TV den, nestled snugly into the sheltered western side.

Photography: Tatjana Plitt