Architects: Ian Moore Architects
Area: 110 m²
Year: 2024
Photographs: Clinton Weaver
Builder: J Michael Constructions
Structural Engineer: Cantilever Consulting Engineers
Planning Consultant: KN Planning
Geotechnical Engineer: JK Geotechnics
Furniture: Fritz Hansen from Cult Design
Landscape Architect: Outdoor Establishments
Principal Architect: Ian Moore, Rocio Mazon
Team Member: Danny Mathis, Jessica Van-Young, Sophie Wruck
Heritage Consultant: Zoltan Kovacs Architect
Building Certifier: Australian Certifying Group
Stylist: Tess Strelein
Location: Potts Point
Country: Australia
Back To Front House by Ian Moore Architects transforms a compact 19th-century sandstone terrace in Potts Point into a refined contemporary dwelling that honors its historic fabric while redefining spatial clarity and daylight. The renovation reconfigures a fragmented interior layout created by a 1980 subdivision that had relocated the home’s entry to a rear laneway. A new three-storey steel-clad tower anchors the redesign, containing a stairwell illuminated by a generous skylight that introduces light to the previously dim core. The addition is visually distinct yet contextually sensitive, respecting conservation guidelines by retaining the century-old rear brick wing and preserving original sandstone and timber elements. A glazed link articulates the junction between old and new, while oak flooring, grey travertine, and steel detailing establish a material dialogue across spaces. Sustainable features such as natural cross-ventilation, solar hot water, and electric-only systems emphasize environmental performance within a small urban footprint.
Located in the densely layered heritage precinct of Potts Point, Back To Front House exemplifies Ian Moore Architects’ disciplined approach to integrating contemporary interventions within historic structures. The project involved the transformation of one of four identical sandstone terrace houses built in 1863, whose spatial organization had been compromised by a late twentieth-century subdivision. This subdivision reduced the original garden to a modest rear courtyard and redirected access to a laneway at the back of the property, leaving the home with a disjointed plan and limited natural light.
The renovation set out to restore coherence and hierarchy to the spatial sequence while adhering to strict conservation controls. The brief required the relocation of the entry, the expansion of the attic to accommodate a new bathroom, and improved connections between living spaces and the courtyard. The architects responded with a restrained yet decisive insertion: a steel-clad, three-storey tower that houses a vertical circulation core beneath a linear skylight. This gesture defines the threshold between the historic sandstone shell and the new intervention, allowing light to cascade through the home and reorient movement along a clear axial path.
A glazed link between the tower and the original structure provides a moment of pause within the composition. Former external openings were repurposed as internal portals, and their sandstone reveals are now celebrated within the interior. Material articulation is central to the project’s clarity. The warmth of new oak flooring contrasts with cool grey travertine in the kitchen, bathrooms, and courtyard, reinforcing the distinction between preserved and newly constructed volumes.
The design’s precision extends to the street interface, where a 5.2-metre-high steel portal marks the laneway entry. This element integrates a gate and privacy screen while expressing the project’s structural honesty and material rigor. Each detail, from the steel-framed windows to the subtle sun hoods, aligns with the architect’s minimalist ethos, balancing visual order with functional performance.
Environmental considerations underpin the project’s contemporary sensibility. The house operates without mechanical air conditioning, relying instead on passive cross-ventilation, insulated walls and roof assemblies, and ceiling fans for thermal comfort. Solar hot water, LED lighting, and electric underfloor heating further demonstrate a commitment to sustainability.
Back To Front House stands as a measured synthesis of conservation and innovation. By inverting the hierarchy of the original terrace and re-establishing clarity through light, structure, and proportion, Ian Moore Architects deliver a work that is both deeply contextual and distinctly modern, a project that reframes heritage not as a constraint, but as a foundation for renewed architectural expression.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: Potts Point, Australia
The location specified is intended for general reference and may denote a city or country, but it does not identify a precise address.
