Hochkins House

Heritage Style Residence | Restoration and Addition

Completed 2023

This family residence in the heart of Bellingen combines the elegance of a heritage home with the liveability of a modern build.   

The original house, of traditional hardwood federation style, stud and weatherboard construction, belonged to the client’s parents, and had evolved over the years with additions and alterations.

g2’s brief in undertaking the restoration was to redesign the residence, updating and improving the spatial quality of the core living zones while being sympathetic and respectful to the original building and its family heritage.

Our design repurposed existing spaces to create an additional bedroom, bathroom and library. We added a spacious combined kitchen / living / dining space, generous deck and rebuilt the garage, all in the style of the original residence. A contemporary pool was terraced into the landscape.

Bellingen township had grown up around this site. Located on a now busy lane, acoustic separation and privacy, especially for bedrooms, was an important design consideration. To achieve this our design repurposed a disused enclosed veranda into a laundry and bathroom- the layout adjustment creating an inbuilt and functional buffer. We also reglazed existing timber windows and replaced original aluminium glazed sliders with timber double hung windows glazed with a laminated glass called Hushlam. With reinsulated walls and roof spaces, the bedrooms were buffered from outside traffic and activity.

The original loungeroom was repurposed as a bedroom, and the original dining room (which had a fireplace in it) converted to a library with a bespoke bar.

Anything that could be reasonably retained was. The front door and many of the internal doors were restored with locks replaced.

Minimal changes were made to the original building fabric. Some fibro weatherboarding from an existing veranda (which had been an addition to the heritage build) was removed and restored with a selection of period correct weatherboards and double hung timber windows. The particle board flooring previously installed in these areas was replaced with timber tongue and groove.

Addressing the sloping site was a significant constraint for the deck, garage, and pool addition. The hillside on which the house is situated, slopes steeply from street level down to the valley and Bellinger River. The new garage needed to maintain access via the lane. Our schema had to plan for the level transitions onsite, preserve the relationship between the pool and the house, and connect back to natural ground so that the client could access the backyard and gardens. Amenities for the pool area were required so a compact bathroom under the garage was included during the rebuild.

Now complete, Hochkins House affords a generous and modern living experience while showcasing the appeal, workmanship, and significance of a heritage family home.  

Principal Architect: Ann Gee- g2 architects

Interior and Exterior Design: Nicole Foster- Natural Habitat Interiors

Builder: Eric Horspool- Coffs Harbour Builders

Joinery: Plumbe Joinery

Landscape Design: Garry Murray- Redbelly Urban Design and Landscape Architecture