Queenslander Home Renovation for Multigenerational Living
Tarryn loves the inner north suburb of Ashgrove, close to the Brisbane CBD. She needed an experienced architect to transform her 70-year-old, post-war, Queenslander into a multi-generational family home. Whiteroom Architects delivered with a beautiful home renovation.
Custom Home Architect
The core of Dorrington House is bringing family together. The original home housed a family of four but couldn’t accommodate a third generation while maintaining the independence required for everyone.
Whiteroom Architects designed a custom home that suits all family members. The new home includes:
- a shared entry
- a private and accessible ground floor unit for grandma
- a swimming pool for the kids
- a garage for the working generation
- a front veranda facing the street
Brisbane Character Home Architects
Across the home we added design features that pay homage to Queensland character homes. Modern building materials were also used to maximise the available space.
The original kitchen, bathroom, and laundry were retained for their functionality and to minimise waste. While they may not last as long, they still have a useful life and can be rejuvenated later. This design philosophy reflects the tradition of Queenslanders – each modified by successive owners, leaving their unique mark.
A new pool was added and connected to the communal living area by a deck. Consideration to levels facilitated a seamless transition and ensured natural supervision of kids playing in the pool.
Multigenerational Home Designs
A key requirement of the design was to expand the living areas to comfortably house three generations. To do this, Whiteroom Architects excavated under the house to increase the habitable floor space. The downstairs ceiling height was also increased to 2.7m to match the ceiling in the original house.
This phase required retaining walls to be positioned along the side boundaries and extended beyond the rear of the unit to maintain the free-standing building. Free-board drainage to the street mitigated potential issues from blocked drains or future construction on neighbouring properties.
Structural Engineer Brisbane
When the Whiteroom Team want a structure designed to exacting standards, we engage structural engineer Jesse Gabrilaitis. He has an ‘it IS possible’ attitude. Jesse works collaboratively to achieve solid structural solutions that meet the brief and confidently endure.
At Dorrington House we needed to make a clear span over the 8m deep garage to support the existing house, new deck, and a roof garden. Anyone who knows about roof gardens knows that soil and water are heavy! Whilst the solution wasn’t obvious, our never give up style turned constrain into opportunity.
‘We are going to need a giant beam,’ Jesse said.
This level of teamwork and collaboration is what makes beautiful solutions. We integrated Jesse’s solution of the support beam with a concrete structural wall to create an elegant design solution.
Creative Solutions With a Structural Wall
After consulting with the neighbours, the garage’s concrete wall was constructed along the western boundary. This solution allows for a pedestrian entry to naturally fit beneath the front gable. The garage position minimises impact on the neighbour’s amenities because it faces their garbage bin and rainwater tank.
Because this load bearing wall is built on the property boundary it is able to support a high ceiling while creating ample space for a two car garage.
The wall extends to the second floor and provided an opportunity to create an elevated garden. The wall not only acts as a visual and sound barrier to neighbouring properties, but it also screens out the hot afternoon sun.
Best Gutters for Heavy Rain
On all Whiteroom projects we pay careful attention to water and drainage. Dorrington House was no exception. We designed the extension to the front of the house to follow the original gable peak, with a horizontal fascia around the remainder of the house. This design required a box gutter to maintain ideal proportions and effectively drain the roof.
Victor Cross and his team at Chilton Woodward & Associates take care of hydraulic design and plumbing approvals for our more complex projects. For Dorrington House they designed and certified a box gutter that allowed the front extension to follow the architectural style of the original house.
Box gutters can be improperly designed or not built in accordance with the design. However, with Chilton Woodwards’ input we know that the gutter is more than adequate to manage heavy rainfall. These gutters also have sufficient redundancy to drain water out of the building in the event of a blockage.
To be on the safe side, Whiteroom computer models all of the structural elements forming our roofs, box gutters, including their supports, flashings and installation to ensure they are fit for purpose. We can sleep at night knowing that our gutters are up to the challenge because we haven’t had a gutter leak in over a decade.
Structural Renovations Certificate
Brisbane based Building Certification Consultants are our go to for manage the building approval and inspection process after the construction phase. The team has completed building certification of over 25 Whiteroom Architects projects, including the Dorrington House structural renovation.
The BCC team are consistently professional in all their assessments and help to make sure that projects run smoothly and meet statutory requirements. They work closely with our architects and consultants in a solutions-oriented approach.
Engaging early with our certification team early in the design process ensures our projects get approved efficiently and move onto construction with a minimum of fuss.
National Architecture Awards
Queenslanders are often modified by new owners who leave their unique mark. With Dorrington House and our other Queenslander renovations, we respect what came before us while adapting the built space to meet 21st century needs.
It is therefore heartening when our designs are recognised. Dorrington House was nominated in the Australian Institute of Architects 2024 national awards.
A good design can transform a home’s functionality. The renewed Dorrington House engages outwardly while being respectful of the character of its place. It is an honest expression of its own time and marks a new chapter in this house’s journey.
Custom Home Design
Whiteroom Architects specialises in designing custom homes that are stylish and functional for clients across Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
If you would like a beautiful home designed for you, contact Whiteroom Architects today.