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Severin Street Queenslander

3 bed, Mid $100's, Parramatta Park (2000-2006)

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This Queenslander renovation provides new functionality, light and space while opening the rear to outdoor living next to a secret inner city rainforest.

Brief & Context

Queenslanders are a beautiful part of Cairns’ heritage, but can be rundown, impractical, hot and dark. While Cairns had some grand Queenslanders, most were little workers cottages that started as a couple of rooms. Over the years these have been adapted, verandahs enclosed, and kitchens and bathrooms extended. Sometimes the original rooms end up windowless boxes surrounded by enclosed verandahs. As a result the plans of Queenslanders are often very confused with bedrooms opening off living rooms or bathrooms off kitchens. However they also have so many great features including high ceilings, louvres, patterned glass casements, t&g walls, and loads of character.
This Queenslander was very basic to start; with only one bedroom. The clients wanted to modernise with new kitchens and bathroom, provide more bedrooms, make it cooler and lighter, and open the living and kitchen areas over a new deck to the lush rainforest of the back yard.

Design Approach

There are two schools of thought of Queenslander renovation. One says to extend in the same materials and style so the extension doesn’t look ‘tacked on’. The other is based on the heritage philosophy ( http://australia.icomos.org/publications/charters/ ) that old should be clearly distinguishable from new. Studio Mango are fundamentally of the second school and the additions are clearly new. However great respect is paid to the heritage character of the existing fabric.

Some of the existing enclosed verandahs were converted to bedrooms, while the bathroom was moved to allow the kitchen to open onto a new deck. A large opening was cut in the wall between front and back to improve transparency and cross ventilation, and new high level opening is provided hot air flushing and extra light.

Sustainability

Renovating an existing house always gives you a head start in sustainability measures as it requires so much fewer materials, and then you can improve from there. The sustainability of the house was improved through:

  • Bedrooms to the south east for prevailing breeze
  • Improved cross ventilation to living rooms
  • Insulation and roof vents
  • High level venting of hot air
  • More natural light
  • Outdoor living
  • Some recycled timber
  • Gas cooking
  • Compact fluorescent lighting
  • Solar hot water system
  • Rain water collection and tanks
  • Grey water garden irrigation system

Design Team & Builder

Mango team: James Maude, Su Groome
Structural Engineer: Chas Gianarakis
Builder: CanDo Constructions, Cairns Home Improvements, Vis Constructions, James Maude