It's a common desire of owners of heritage homes to add a modern, light-filled extension - the best of both worlds. The owners of this Leabrook home in Adelaide have achieved that goal, with a new living area bursting with light and opening effortlessly to the outdoors.
![LBK LBK](https://media.lunchboxarchitect.com/fit-in/540x540/featured/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture-52982202.jpg)
![LBK LBK](https://media.lunchboxarchitect.com/fit-in/540x540/featured/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture-ee6e6a42.jpg)
Dealing with a quaint heritage cottage, set in a narrow, leafy suburban laneway PLY Architecture designed an addition which honours the original by replicating its mass and scale. The addition is recycled brick crowned by a dramatic raked ceiling. "Careful consideration of junctions between existing and new elements has allowed for clear definition yet still creates harmony between modern and heritage aesthetics", explains PLY architecture.
![LBK LBK](https://media.lunchboxarchitect.com/fit-in/540x540/featured/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture-ac8d16a0.jpg)
![LBK LBK](https://media.lunchboxarchitect.com/fit-in/540x540/featured/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture-749f7885.jpg)
![LBK LBK](https://media.lunchboxarchitect.com/fit-in/540x540/featured/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture-f681ff09.jpg)
The raked ceiling grabs light from the north, east and south, filling the centre of the living area with light for the majority of the day, while a bank of bifold doors allows the living area to spill into the backyard.
![LBK LBK](https://media.lunchboxarchitect.com/fit-in/540x540/featured/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture-ee2a5f13.jpg)
![LBK LBK](https://media.lunchboxarchitect.com/fit-in/540x540/featured/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture-458c298a.jpg)
![LBK LBK](https://media.lunchboxarchitect.com/fit-in/540x540/featured/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture-054ce09a.jpg)
The entry is relocated to the side, marked by a '6' in brickwork and a strip of skylight draws you into the house. This is where a low, minimal link fills the void between the living area's raked ceiling and the existing home, protecting the entry, a bathroom and study.
![LBK LBK](https://media.lunchboxarchitect.com/fit-in/540x540/featured/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture-74486146.jpg)
![LBK LBK](https://media.lunchboxarchitect.com/fit-in/540x540/featured/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture-55bd68b0.jpg)
The home is not huge, just 110 square metres, but within that footprint, it manages to squeeze in a lot of living, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms a study nook and a generous open-plan living area. It goes to prove that effective planning can create plenty of living space, even on constrained sites.
![A Modern, Light-filled Extension to the Rear of a Heritage Home A Modern, Light-filled Extension to the Rear of a Heritage Home](https://media.lunchboxarchitect.com/fit-in/540x540/featured/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture-e17114bf.jpg)
![LBK LBK](https://media.lunchboxarchitect.com/fit-in/540x540/featured/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture-3918f23a.jpg)
![A Modern, Light-filled Extension to the Rear of a Heritage Home A Modern, Light-filled Extension to the Rear of a Heritage Home](https://media.lunchboxarchitect.com/fit-in/540x540/featured/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture/lbk-adelaide-ply-architecture-12a10f73.jpg)