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Thornton House
Thornton, NSW
Alterations + Additions · CDC approved
Thornton House explores how an existing home can accommodate more family life within a carefully considered budget.
The design focuses on additional bedroom accommodation, bathroom requirements and a revised internal arrangement while retaining the existing kitchen.
As building costs shaped the project, the extension was reduced and the planning refined.
The resulting approach prioritized the household’s essential needs, balancing the ambition for more space with the practical realities of renovating.
01 / THE BRIEF & Overview
Project name: Thornton House Location: Thornton, NSW Project type: Alterations + Additions Current status: CDC approved January 2023 — construction status to confirm.Year: Completion year to confirm. Our scope: Architectural design and approval documentation. The overall story: Adapting an existing home to accommodate the family’s needs through careful planning, targeted additions and thoughtful use of the spaces already there.
Thornton House explores how an existing home can accommodate more family life within a carefully considered budget.
The design focuses on additional bedroom accommodation, bathroom requirements and a revised internal arrangement while retaining the existing kitchen.
As building costs shaped the project, the extension was reduced and the planning refined.
The resulting approach prioritised the household’s essential needs, balancing the ambition for more space with the practical realities of renovating.
02 / EXISTING + CONCEPT
The existing kitchen became a fixed point around which the revised layout developed.
Parts of the bedroom accommodation were also retained, allowing the design effort to focus on the spaces that needed to change.
Several options explored how additional accommodation could fit within the property’s constraints.
As the project developed, the proposed extension became more compact, with the layout adjusted to reconcile the family’s priorities, budget and approval requirements
EXISTING
Add existing facade, site photo, sketch or condition diagram.
03 / PLANS
The plans trace the relationship between retained rooms, reconfigured spaces and proposed additions.
The key planning challenge was to accommodate the bedroom and bathroom brief while maintaining workable access through the home and to the garage.
Comparing alternative layouts helped clarify where new space would provide the greatest benefit.
04 / MATERIAL PALETTE
· Natural stone
· Warm timber
· Lime render
· Tactile finishes
· Indoor–outdoor connection
05 / THE PROJECT
FAMILY NEEDS: A brief centered on additional bedrooms and practical bathroom accommodation.
RETENTION: Keeping the existing kitchen and selected rooms as the starting point for the renovation.
COMPACT PLANNING: Refining the extension to concentrate new building work where it mattered most.
BUDGET: Testing design options against construction costs throughout the process.
06 / BEHIND THE PROJECT
Studio / process image
Thornton House developed through a series of design revisions as the clients’ priorities, construction costs and site constraints were considered together.
The approval process moved from an initial complying-development investigation to a development application, approved in January 2023.
The project reflects the value of revisiting a brief carefully: testing alternatives, adjusting the scope and finding a practical way forward for an existing family home.
FOLLOW OUR PROCESS →
@Untitled
THORNTON HOUSE — WEBSITE COPY
1 / PROJECT DETAILS + OVERVIEW
- Project name: Thornton House
- Location: Thornton, NSW
- Project type: Alterations + Additions
- Current status: CDC approved January 2023 — construction status to confirm.
- Year: Completion year to confirm.
- Our scope: Architectural design and approval documentation.
- The overall story: Adapting an existing home to accommodate the family’s needs through careful planning, targeted additions and thoughtful use of the spaces already there.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Thornton House explores how an existing home can accommodate more family life within a carefully considered budget. The design focuses on additional bedroom accommodation, bathroom requirements and a revised internal arrangement while retaining the existing kitchen.
As building costs shaped the project, the extension was reduced and the planning refined. The resulting approach prioritised the household’s essential needs, balancing the ambition for more space with the practical realities of renovating.
01 / THE BRIEF
The clients’ priorities were clear: a five-bedroom brief, suitable bathroom accommodation and an approach that kept construction costs under control.
The design needed to make effective use of the existing home, retaining functional spaces wherever possible. This called for close consideration of room arrangements, circulation and the extent of new building work.
02 / EXISTING + CONCEPT
The existing kitchen became a fixed point around which the revised layout developed. Parts of the bedroom accommodation were also retained, allowing the design effort to focus on the spaces that needed to change.
Several options explored how additional accommodation could fit within the property’s constraints. As the project developed, the proposed extension became more compact, with the layout adjusted to reconcile the family’s priorities, budget and approval requirements.
03 / PLANS
The plans trace the relationship between retained rooms, reconfigured spaces and proposed additions.
The key planning challenge was to accommodate the bedroom and bathroom brief while maintaining workable access through the home and to the garage. Comparing alternative layouts helped clarify where new space would provide the greatest benefit.
04 / MATERIAL PALETTE
[Gallagher: insert the confirmed project finishes and matching images. The materials currently listed on the page are template examples and need replacing.]
05 / THE HOME
FAMILY NEEDS: A brief centred on additional bedrooms and practical bathroom accommodation.
RETENTION: Keeping the existing kitchen and selected rooms as the starting point for the renovation.
COMPACT PLANNING: Refining the extension to concentrate new building work where it mattered most.
BUDGET: Testing design options against construction costs throughout the process.
06 / BEHIND THE PROJECT
Thornton House developed through a series of design revisions as the clients’ priorities, construction costs and site constraints were considered together.
The approval process moved from an initial complying-development investigation to a development application, approved in January 2023. The project reflects the value of revisiting a brief carefully: testing alternatives, adjusting the scope and finding a practical way forward for an existing family home.