The Whyte House

The Whyte House is a set of alterations and additions to a two-storey, semi-detached residence in Manly, completed in 2015. The original house is an Edwardian Queen Anne and Arts and Crafts dwelling listed on the state heritage inventory, and the brief began modestly with a carport and an awning to reconnect the rear yard with the home.

The owners' decision to downsize and stay close to the civic and social life they value shaped the whole approach. Rather than building upward, the design pushes the existing fabric to work as hard as it can. Every family room is set up for social flexibility and kept modestly scaled, so each space can serve a single person seeking quiet or open up as a platform for entertaining.

The sequence of spaces is deliberate. The carport frames the view from the outdoor areas, those outdoor areas frame the view from the living rooms, and the living rooms close the sequence. Each element is asked to hold its own aesthetically while remaining part of the whole.

Material choices favour durability and character. External timbers are either painted white to extend their life or specified in teak where exposure is harsher. The roof is naturally weathering zinc, folded in a traditional double standing seam for rigidity. Sandstone, hand-selected from a local quarry, adds texture and ties the additions back to the heritage elements.

Project completed 2015. Architecture and design by buck&simple: doers of stuff (Adam Gaukrodger). Built by a.m. custom builders. Photography by Tim Pascoe.