Located on the corner of Sandy Bay Road and Ashfield Street, Welwyn is a carefully considered alteration and addition to a heritage-listed Federation residence in Sandy Bay. The project responds to a central challenge: how to introduce light, warmth and contemporary living into a dwelling whose original layout and fabric limited access to sun and outlook, while respecting the character of a property individually listed on the Tasmanian Heritage Register. The design focuses on a compact 60m² intervention at the rear of the home, where opportunities for extension were constrained by the existing building and site conditions.

Rather than competing with the original dwelling, the addition reinterprets the idea of a glass house through a restrained contemporary form. A steel-framed glazed awning replaces an unsympathetic existing structure, capturing morning light and providing solar gain while clearly distinguishing new from old. The kitchen is reconfigured to improve functionality and establish stronger connections to the north-east facing courtyard, with carefully positioned glazing transforming previously dark interiors into light-filled living spaces. Approached from Ashfield Street, the new extension acts as a primary point of arrival, with a sandstone terrace and planted threshold mediating between the car parking area and the home.

Externally, sandstone, painted steel and timber are combined in a refined material palette that draws cues from the existing Federation house without replicating its language. Internally, warm finishes and generous glazing create bright, welcoming spaces centred around the kitchen and living areas. Morning sunlight becomes a defining feature of daily life, reinforcing the project's ambition to improve amenity through simple, purposeful architectural moves.

Welwyn demonstrates how a heritage dwelling can adapt to contemporary living through measured intervention. The result is a quiet and sophisticated addition that enhances the experience of the original home while remaining respectful of its historical significance.