Toohey Forest House
Status:
Completed
Year:
2024
Type:
Private Residence
Size:
-
Client:
Private
Location:
Queensland, Australia
Toohey Forest House challenges the conventional approach to post-war homes in Brisbane, where demolition is often favoured over preservation. Instead, this project celebrates the existing house, retaining its presence at the front of the site with only minimal interior modifications. The original kitchen was repurposed to create a master suite, allowing all bedrooms to remain within the original structure - a deliberate move that respects the home’s history while making way for a contemporary addition at the rear.
Toohey Forest House challenges the conventional approach to post-war homes in Brisbane, where demolition is often favoured over preservation. Instead, this project celebrates the existing house, retaining its presence at the front of the site with only minimal interior modifications. The original kitchen was repurposed to create a master suite, allowing all bedrooms to remain within the original structure - a deliberate move that respects the home’s history while making way for a contemporary addition at the rear.
The new pavilion, housing the kitchen, dining, and living areas, is set quietly at the back of the site, barely visible from the street. It connects lightly to the existing home through a glazed gallery, a delicate threshold that enhances the experience of moving between old and new. Between these two elements, a lush tropical courtyard emerges - an inviting shared landscape that brings greenery deep into the home, offering framed views from both the original house and the new pavilion. This verdant space also forms an informal, meandering pathway to the new pool, reinforcing a sense of fluid movement and connection to nature.
The new pavilion, housing the kitchen, dining, and living areas, is set quietly at the back of the site, barely visible from the street. It connects lightly to the existing home through a glazed gallery, a delicate threshold that enhances the experience of moving between old and new. Between these two elements, a lush tropical courtyard emerges - an inviting shared landscape that brings greenery deep into the home, offering framed views from both the original house and the new pavilion. This verdant space also forms an informal, meandering pathway to the new pool, reinforcing a sense of fluid movement and connection to nature.
The new pavilion, housing the kitchen, dining, and living areas, is set quietly at the back of the site, barely visible from the street. It connects lightly to the existing home through a glazed gallery, a delicate threshold that enhances the experience of moving between old and new. Between these two elements, a lush tropical courtyard emerges - an inviting shared landscape that brings greenery deep into the home, offering framed views from both the original house and the new pavilion. This verdant space also forms an informal, meandering pathway to the new pool, reinforcing a sense of fluid movement and connection to nature.
Breaking from suburban convention, the front yard has been transformed into a native garden with species endemic to the nearby Toohey Forest. Deliberately left unfenced, it invites the local community in. At its heart, an in-ground trampoline offers a joyful gathering space for neighbourhood children. Playfulness continues inside, where a hidden cubby is tucked into the bulkhead above the kitchen, creating an unexpected retreat for the youngest occupants.
Toohey Forest House is an exploration of balance - between preservation and reinvention, structure and landscape, public and private life. It is a home that quietly integrates itself into its surroundings, offering a contemporary way of living while embracing its past and fostering a sense of community.
Breaking from suburban convention, the front yard has been transformed into a native garden with species endemic to the nearby Toohey Forest. Deliberately left unfenced, it invites the local community in. At its heart, an in-ground trampoline offers a joyful gathering space for neighbourhood children. Playfulness continues inside, where a hidden cubby is tucked into the bulkhead above the kitchen, creating an unexpected retreat for the youngest occupants.
Toohey Forest House is an exploration of balance - between preservation and reinvention, structure and landscape, public and private life. It is a home that quietly integrates itself into its surroundings, offering a contemporary way of living while embracing its past and fostering a sense of community.
Credits:
Landscape Architect: Greencare Project
Structural Engineer: Inertia Engineering
Builder: M2 Build
Photography: Catherine Schusler
Toohey Forest House challenges the conventional approach to post-war homes in Brisbane, where demolition is often favoured over preservation. Instead, this project celebrates the existing house, retaining its presence at the front of the site with only minimal interior modifications. The original kitchen was repurposed to create a master suite, allowing all bedrooms to remain within the original structure - a deliberate move that respects the home’s history while making way for a contemporary addition at the rear.
The new pavilion, housing the kitchen, dining, and living areas, is set quietly at the back of the site, barely visible from the street. It connects lightly to the existing home through a glazed gallery, a delicate threshold that enhances the experience of moving between old and new. Between these two elements, a lush tropical courtyard emerges - an inviting shared landscape that brings greenery deep into the home, offering framed views from both the original house and the new pavilion. This verdant space also forms an informal, meandering pathway to the new pool, reinforcing a sense of fluid movement and connection to nature.
Breaking from suburban convention, the front yard has been transformed into a native garden with species endemic to the nearby Toohey Forest. Deliberately left unfenced, it invites the local community in. At its heart, an in-ground trampoline offers a joyful gathering space for neighbourhood children. Playfulness continues inside, where a hidden cubby is tucked into the bulkhead above the kitchen, creating an unexpected retreat for the youngest occupants.
Toohey Forest House is an exploration of balance - between preservation and reinvention, structure and landscape, public and private life. It is a home that quietly integrates itself into its surroundings, offering a contemporary way of living while embracing its past and fostering a sense of community.
Credits:
Landscape Architect: Greencare Project
Structural Engineer: Inertia Engineering
Builder: M2 Build
Photography: Catherine Schusler
(Other works)
