Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Jul 03, 2025

A Melbourne Bungalow’s Courtyard Extension Creates a Window to the Sky

A Melbourne Bungalow’s Courtyard Extension Creates a Window to the Sky

Inspired by the iconic home of Australian architect Sir Roy Grounds, the extension artfully blurs the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces.

After a family moved from the bushy region of Victoria’s Surf Coast to a California-style bungalow in the Melbourne suburb of Elwood, they wanted to maintain a close connection with the outdoors. California bungalows, however, aren’t known for their relationship to the outdoors, so the family approached Rob Kennon Architects to reimagine their home.



Kennon’s response was to introduce a "sun tracker and sky farmer"-in other words, an open, circular courtyard with a sizable garden at the center.

"The design revolves around this need for a connection to the outdoors-literally and figuratively-by orienting itself away from the suburban context and toward the centralized outdoor space," says Kennon. "The resulting form ensures the experience within the home is never absent of garden or sky."



Kennon’s design takes inspiration from renowned Australian architect Sir Roy Grounds’s own home, Hill House. One of the most celebrated works of modernist architecture in Australia, the home features a perfectly circular glass-walled courtyard within a square of solid brick walls.



Like Hill House, Elwood Bungalow relies on the idea of subtracting space as much as adding it. The single-story extension builds up to all three boundaries of the yard, enclosing a central, circular courtyard. "The renovation turns away from the neighboring blank boundary walls and overlooking windows, and instead favors an inward dial plan that infinitely looks onto itself," explains Kennon.



The extension is a marked improvement over the use of space at the rear of the home, which was previously a neglected garden. Now, the entire footprint is used; even the pathway that connects the front garden to the courtyard is carefully landscaped.

"The resulting home visually and functionally aligns with the family’s values of openness and connectedness," says Kennon. "The front yard can be used for a cricket match while someone is entertaining out the back."



Unsurprisingly, the renovation necessitated a sensitive relationship between the architecture and garden design to realize the vision. Rob Kennon Architects collaborated closely with Eckersley Garden Architecture to create the circular courtyard garden, where a single sculptural tree and artfully planted shrubbery create a synergy with the built form.



Throughout, the cost effective material palette-including walls of recycled masonry and a concrete ceiling and floors-takes inspiration from the original home while complementing it. The textural details, such as painted brick, timber joinery, and tiles, are a contemporary nod to the "noisy" elements of the original architecture, such as stucco and decorative wood.



"The architecture enhances the family’s communal lifestyle," says Kennon. "The absence of corners in the centralized garden facilitates a continuous fluctuation of views and lighting conditions into and across the space."



Concept sketch for Elwood Bungalow by Rob Kennon Architects



Ground floor plan of Elwood Bungalow by Rob Kennon Architects



First floor plan of Elwood Bungalow by Rob Kennon Architects



Section of Elwood Bungalow by Rob Kennon Architects

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
×