Located in central Hobart, Tasmania, Coolum shows what a well-judged home extension can do for a heritage cottage. Designed by Biotope Architecture + Interiors, the project keeps the original house intact while adding the space a growing family needed, with more light and a stronger link to the garden.
The brief was straightforward: protect the cottage’s character, and make daily life work better. Rather than pushing up against the old structure, the new addition sits behind it, largely out of view from the street. Inside, it opens into an open-plan living zone that connects directly to the outdoors. It is a respectful kind of growth, grounded in what was already there.
As you move through the cottage, the extension draws you in. Large sliding timber doors open to a living area filled with sun, and a small step down brings you to ground level, setting up an easy flow to the backyard. Glazing at both ends pulls in morning and afternoon light, so the central room stays bright across the day. The atmosphere is calm and practical, designed for shared time without forcing it.
Materials do much of the quiet work. Stone blade walls and CORTEN-lined windows give the addition weight and a sense of connection to the site, without competing with the cottage. Inside, reclaimed timber trusses and stone feature walls add texture and continuity, linking the new rooms back to the older fabric of the house.
The layout is built around family life. The open-plan area supports cooking, eating, and lingering in the same space, while bedrooms provide separation when needed. It is a house that can hold a full weekend of guests, then return to the pace of a weekday morning without feeling strained.
Outside, the landscape becomes part of the plan rather than a backdrop. The backyard now reads as an extension of the living space, with light and warmth shifting across the lawn and stone through the day. It is a simple change with a big effect: the outdoors feels close, usable, and present.
With Coolum, Biotope Architecture + Interiors make a case for the careful extension, one that adds space while strengthening what a house already does well. The old and new are not competing. They are working together.
