Holland Park renovation and second-storey addition
A full renovation with an added level on a steep Holland Park block, designed to adapt to a family member's changing access and medical needs, with a private, self-contained space for the parents.
Location
Holland Park
Type
Reno + addition
Scope
Three levels
Builder
QBCC licensed
The brief
The owners wanted a full renovation with an added level, designed to adapt to a family member's changing access and medical needs, including potential wheelchair use, plus a private, self-contained space for the parents.
The challenge
A steep hillside site with heavy water flow from the properties above, including natural underground water. We retained the existing rear of the house on the middle floor and excavated beneath it to form a private suite, all while resolving existing floor levels that were around 70mm out across a three-level build.
The outcome
A series of bespoke, connected spaces: a self-contained parents' level, breakout rooms such as a library for respite, and a landscaped rear yard with a fire pit for gatherings. The children can enjoy the yard while the parents take in city and mountain views from the top level, with a natural flow from the rear through to the front deck.
- Self-contained parents' suite excavated beneath the retained rear
- Planned for accessibility and potential wheelchair use
- Floor levels resolved across a three-level build
- Landscaped rear yard with fire pit, plus city and mountain views
Inside the project
Recognition
2024 Master Builders Awards finalist
Can you build a second storey on a steep block in Brisbane?
Yes, and on a steep site the ground usually dictates the sequence rather than the design. The Holland Park block ran with heavy water flow from the properties above, including natural underground water. We retained the existing rear of the house on the middle floor and excavated beneath it to form a private suite. The slope is a constraint to work with, not a reason to start again.
What happens if the existing floor levels are out?
You measure before you design. At Holland Park the existing levels were around 70mm out across a three-level build, so correcting them was part of the scope from the start rather than something discovered halfway through and repriced.
Can a renovation be designed around future accessibility needs?
Yes, and it is far cheaper done at design stage than retrofitted. The Holland Park owners needed the home to adapt to a family member's changing access and medical needs, including potential wheelchair use, so circulation, levels and a self-contained parents' suite were planned around that from the brief onwards.
Picture your own home like this
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