Redesigned by Robert Nichol & Sons, this inspiring single family house is located in Collingwood, Australia.

Description by Robert Nichol & Sons
Heritage houses are a double edged sword for an architect, especially if it?s an own home. On the one hand there is the emotive almost romantic aspect of history and on the other you have the pragmatic aspects of Planning and regulations- then you mix this with the desire to fully realise the potential of a site and location.
Crisp House was certainly no exception to this.
Despite having an Individually Significant rating the property was in a pretty dire condition having been stripped of nearly all of its heritage fabric and character, and seemingly held together with years of thickly applied paint. Early concepts for the re-development tended to focus purely on Planning and meeting local guidelines – looking to maximise the potential of the site rather than consideration to the existing cottage. Using the height of the apartment block to the north as a guide, various schemes using 3 levels were explored. [Collingwood was on the up and up] and maximising the site potential seemed to be the sensible [financial] way to go.
At the same time we also started to delve into the past in preparation for Council submission, and it?s then that our attitude took a turn. As we learnt more about the cottage and the Collingwood Slope district we decided that there was great value in the history, that it was imp...