Rough Linen I love the way many Paddo houses have rear access to a lane, so civilised!

anykka I really really realllly like this!

Eco-Strip I'm cynical here but...other than the front facade, what of the original 19th century design was saved? Was it all so bad that it had to be gutted and modernized?

danyoung79 Fantastic conversion taking old to new with class

olldroo Eco-Strip. The facades of these terraces are heritage protected in most areas so cannot be changed. This one has been beautifully restored, although not in true heritage colours.. These homes are terraces and the original design included small dark rooms with lean-to outhouses at the back for the kitchen, laundry and even bathroom. With common walls, the only way to bring light into the home is by open plan designs such as this. These homes were built between the 1850s and 1890s so while original features can be restored in some, many are beyond repair. It is common to extend and modernise the rear of these homes provided it cannot be seen from the street, and is amenable with adjoining properties, it will pass Council approval.

astraea I honestly don't understand the "butterfly", except to be different design-wise. Unless this area has very little rain, I also have no clue where the butterfly roof directs water, other than it spilling down right in front of the sliding door.

olldroo I can assure you Astraea, Sydney does get plenty of rain. There would have to be drainage there somewhere. They may have done this because a hip roof could have been visible from the street to detract from the heritage aspect of the house and a flat roof would have looked bland.

Stone & Land, LLC This looks like a tough project with limited access and elevation changes, even in that beat up alley it looks kinda harsh for resolving the grade. I really like the extension of living space to the courtyard between the house and studio. Also like the window backsplash in the kitchen and still having cabinets above. I was wondering how big the little courtyard is that is outside the kitchen, like 5 feet? Nice for extra light and air, hopefully it has some nice function too like herb garden, cafe table for 2 for coffee or tea. Looks pretty tight. Would that space been better used as interior space? I don't know but it does make the house more lively and interesting.

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel It appears they accomplished their goal of bringing in light, but what a screeching style change from the front entry wall. Ouch!

Paintings by Kirsten Elizabeth Gilmore I like the idea of a house that is "secretly" modern. :)

ralphpinto How do they adequately deal with the water runoff. the splashback on the clerestory windows seems to be inevitable. Is this a problem on this design?

mcbriec I would also worry how drainage on this roof works. It looks like the perimeter of the roof is completely flat and would accumulate water around the windows, while the elevated butterfly roof funnels water to the middle.

I grew up in a flat-roofed mid-century modern house with an elevated "crown" of clerestory windows. The roof and clerestory windows were a never-ending disaster of water problems.

sartarehare We're seeing these all over Seattle and the general consensus is: UGLY. It's interesting to see the folks who buy these homes defending the design while the neighbors seethe. Spec homes are frowned on in most neighborhoods since they don't fit in with other architectural types but they are the only homes being built in the last few years since we've got one or two companies doing all of the lending. We live next to one of these and we get to hear all of the comments as people walk by. It also blocks all of our sun and was originally a 1920s craftsman that looks nothing like a craftsman now. These homes are unfortunately here to stay but even if you like modern design, this type of design generally looks better as a business space in Seattle. Maybe it works in Sydney? Did I mention we're moving to a house where there are no plans to create one of these next door?

olldroo Stone and Land - I'm not sure but maybe those terraces have a 20 ft frontage, maybe not even that, they really are tight and to get that little kitchen courtyard would have been a feat but getting light into these homes is very important when they have common walls on each side.

Without the alleyway at the rear, which adds thousands to the value of the house, owners have absolutely no off street parking and have to get special stickers from the Council to be able to park in the street.

Paddington was a very derelect area until the 1970s when it's proximity to the CBD suddenly made it a desirable area and property prices skyrocketed literally overnight and it is now a very trendy and upmarket area. It also has a lot of historical significance.

Because the streets are filled with row after row of terraces, all owners are on the same level and renovations have to be sympathetic to the heritage aspect of the area as well as adjoining properties. There are very strict building codes and guidlines. I don't have exact current figures but homes like this would be worth in excess of $1.5m.

ralphpinto I have a very cool scupper collector that is designed to integrate into the fascia that will shed the run off from this type of roof. And I have split the roof cricket into two equal sections to minimize the amount of water. Not sure weather to free fall or or run the water in a downspout. Advantages to both...

ralphpinto Let me see.. These type of homes are going up all over Seattle..Builders keep building them as spec's.. Lenders keep lending on them..People keep buying them...Perhaps you would be happier isolated and away from the modern world design concept.. sounds like a win win to me!!

sartarehare Ralphpinto, apparently you're not getting me. If you like 'em, that's fine. You can have your tastes and I'll have mine. But in Seattle, these homes are designed and sold to people who want "the next thing" by spec lenders who only finance this stuff because you can cram more sq ft into a tall box shape. Seattle is like anywhere else: the housing market is tough and most builders have been affected and are not doing new construction. So we get the fish tail roof spec houses that will look terribly dated in about a decade or two and are being sold to folks who buy into the "eco" market fad, as these are typically advertised.
But yeah, I still think they're ugly and I typically like modern designs very much- just not this.

Stone & Land, LLC Thanks Oldroo, yeah I was trying to say that the alley looked in derepair and really uneven, not that I didn't like the garage. Just that it looked like a headache logistically to complete, including keeping fussy neighbors happy even when they hate your butterfly roof. Geeze!

olldroo Stone and Land - It is up to the Local Council to keep alleyways like that in repair but they are also responsible for roads so alleys would be very low priority. Since the boom in this area the houses have been renovated and updated and are all very trendy, the level of trendiness and innovation depends on which decade it was done. I would say the rear of the property would have been demolished so access could have been pretty reasonable. Be interesting what the neighbours' feelings are, it is an area for professionals and educated people so they could well be appreciative of the innovations but as I said I know the Council has very strict building regulations and here, immediate neighbours do get input into any renovations or changes to property.

lifeseyephoto I think this is one of the coolest designs for a narrow lot. It was ingenious to add the tiny terrace outside the window where you wash dishes! You see yr own space, you get natural light. It's comically shocking how much the house does not match the facade. These folks must have a great sense of humor. Plus, orange is my fave, as well...