AurumKnockdown-rebuild · Lilyfield

The Lilyfield site was secured below market value. The aim was a home of quiet luxury, where strong design adds to everyday living and to long-term value.

We chose a knockdown-rebuild to make the most of the site's position. The design gives the new house a bold sculptural façade: a perforated terracotta form above the garage, with warm light behind the screen at dusk.

At the heart of the plan is a private courtyard, where a stone-tiled pool sits beside a timber-lined sauna, so it's a few steps from the water to the warmth. Below, a walnut-panelled gym is lit by an aquarium window that carries soft blue light down from the pool.

Open living is arranged around a marble island, curved forms and a sculptural spiral stair, with skylights and warm lighting drawing the eye through the house. In the main bedroom, a perforated screen filters light from the street.

Aurum is under construction, and it is planned to add substantial value to the site. The images are visualisations of the design.

Check heritage before anything else. Your Section 10.7 planning certificate shows whether the house is a heritage item or sits in a heritage conservation area. If it does, demolishing it needs development consent from council, usually supported by a heritage report, and approval isn't a given. Outside those areas, a new one- or two-storey house can often be approved as complying development under the state's Housing Code, if the lot and the design meet its standards. Inner West Council's duty planning service can give early advice on whether consent is needed.

Then there are a few practical things to plan for:

BASIX

Every new home needs a BASIX certificate, which sets targets for water, energy and thermal performance. A pool over 40,000 litres needs one too.

Pool Safety

Register the pool on the NSW Swimming Pool Register and keep it behind a compliant child-resistant barrier.

Asbestos

Houses built before the late 1980s may contain asbestos. Removing more than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos needs a licensed removalist.

Structure and Waterproofing

A pool beside or above living space, like a gym with a window into the pool, needs its structure and waterproofing designed in from the start.

Neighbours

Where excavation goes below a neighbour's footings, the consent generally includes a condition that you protect their building and, if needed, underpin it at your own cost.