Shining example

A soaring, sculptural extension gives a humble Bowral bungalow a whole new lease on light.

- CHRIS PEARSON

Come nighttime, this extension glows like a Japanese rice-paper lantern; like a gentle, gleaming box,” says architect Luke Moloney. With its white luminescence, subtle textures and delicate angles, it would make light sculptor Isamu Noguchi proud. That brilliance extends to daytime, albeit expressed differently, when the soaring glassed void, with its multi-pitched butterfly roof and timber screening, is immersed in sunshine and touches the earth lightly.

Luke has played with the roofline, with its origami folds, introducing subtle pitches that let in the light and echo the topography, while also welcoming in views of Mount Gibraltar through its generous glazing.

The bold addition stands in dramatic contrast to the original 1920s bungalow at the front, in Bowral, New South Wales. When the owners approached Luke in 2020, they lived in the family home down the road and used this as an Airbnb but, with their two adult daughters flying the nest, they wanted to downsize. And this cottage seemed the obvious choice.

“However, it was very small and poky, with two bedrooms and one bathroom, cold and dark,” says the owner. And there was a token connection to the sprawling rear garden, serviced by a single door in a floor plan that was totally original, with no additions over the years. “We wanted something new on the back to capture the warmth and light and something we could live in for a long time, so there’s always room for our daughters and possibly grandchildren, too, at some stage. But we also wanted the wow factor, with a traditional bungalow at the front and a big surprise at the back.” “They were looking for a bit of an adventure,” adds Luke, who relished the challenge.