A low cost renovation to a tiny workers cottage, dubbed the ‘dolls house’ by neighbours at only 3.5m wide. Retaining the original brick portion of the house and then extending the house to connect with the rear laneway. Two courtyards provide the interior with direct connection to a garden, whilst generating a continuous and connected series of living spaces.

The courtyard walls are angled to further enhance the external volumes, breaking down the linearity of the narrow site. They are designed to daylight and ventilate the interior, acting as additional circulation zones and open the interior to the garden creating constant views to and through the entire length of the house, making their open spaces appear as part of the interior.

Views to other rooms – which are all similar in terms of materiality and colour – make all the spaces seem connected, which in turn makes them look and feel bigger than they are. Retaining the existing structure of the house and fabric of the interior – exposing the existing brick wall, previous plaster work and sketches made on the walls during construction give a visual memory of the existing workers cottage providing a context for the home.