Ari Alexander / Design Group

Elonera House, in detail.

The skylight became a quiet architectural move, bringing natural light into the home and changing the way the interior spaces are experienced throughout the day.

In a heritage setting, the smallest interventions often carry the most weight. The detail needed to feel considered, purposeful and connected to the broader language of the home.

A subtle moment, but an important one.

Thinking dual occupancy?

Not every block can comfortably take two dwellings, even when the land size looks promising.

Frontage, access, car parking, private open space, overlooking, trees, easements, orientation and neighbourhood character all influence what may be possible.

We can help test the site early and work through whether a dual occupancy, townhouse or alternative development approach is likely to suit.

Call us before you commit.

Don’t start with the dream. Start with reality.

Your budget, your site, your planning controls and your existing home all shape what is possible.

A strong design process does not ignore those limits. It works with them to find the smartest way forward.

That might be a renovation, an addition, an internal rework, or a staged approach that gives the project room to grow.

Call us for an initial conversation.

A moment of gratitude.

In 2024, Hawksburn House was recognised at the Design Matters National Awards, receiving awards for Interior Design and Bathroom Design.

This project was a true collaboration with Studio Doherty, shaped through a shared reading of the brief, the existing home and the way the clients wanted to live.

Awards are lovely when they come, but the best part is seeing a project recognised for the care, detail and collaboration that sits behind the finished work.

Thank you to our clients, collaborators, consultants and everyone involved in helping bring Hawksburn House together.

Hawksburn House, in detail.

The stair became more than a way to move between levels. It helped organise the home, drawing light through the interior and creating a clearer sense of connection between spaces.

For a home that had once been divided, the new planning needed to feel calm, open and resolved.

A quiet moment, but an important one.

We don’t design for awards.

We design around you.

Your routines, your quirks, your likes, your dislikes, your budget, your site and the way you actually live.

Awards are lovely when they come, but they should never be the brief.

Our role is to listen properly, ask the right questions and shape a home that feels like it belongs to you, without making the process feel intimidating or out of reach.

Clear advice. Practical design. No ego.

Hawksburn House.

Originally built in the 1930s and later operating as a divided duplex, the home was reworked into one connected family residence.

Together with Studio Doherty, the project focused on opening up the internal planning, improving flow and creating stronger connections between the home, garden and key living spaces.

The result is a generous and layered family home, where refined detailing, colour and moments of the unexpected sit comfortably within the original character of the house.

Winner of Interior Design and Bathroom Design at the 2024 Design Matters National Awards.

Building design by Ari Alexander Design Group
Interiors by Studio Doherty

Design by ＡＲＩ ＡＬＥＸＡＮＤＥＲ
Interiors by Studio Doherty
Approved by Appointed Building Surveyors

Grid House, in detail.

The steelwork became one of the defining parts of the project, creating structure, rhythm and contrast against the original Edwardian weatherboard home.

It gave the new addition a clear architectural language without overpowering the character of what was already there.

A quiet detail, but an important one.

Grid House.

The original Edwardian home was never something to erase. It became the starting point for a new layer of family living behind it.

The project was about finding the right balance between old and new, retaining the character of the existing home while allowing the addition to feel confident, contemporary and connected.

A home with history, given room to grow.

Photography by Timothy Kaye