Alexandra Buchanan Architecture has designed and renovated Kent, a family home in Brisbane, Australia.

Kent attempts to balance the need for refuge, retreat, thermal comfort and privacy with the expansive openness of its sub-tropical location and engagement with the urban context.

"The project creates a dialogue between the architecture of the original 1925 Queenslander and that of a new contribution by our studio," said Alexandra Buchanan Architecture.

Following the fall of the hill, internal levels of the house sit against the contours of the site to create a surprisingly dynamic interplay of height behind and beneath the existing Queenslander, drawing the line of sight through the house to trees beyond.

The courtyard acts as a separation device to respect and maintain the integrity of the existing cottage, which is legible throughout.

Functionally, the building is flexible and responsive, where operable facades allow the building to be thermally adaptive to the user and the seasons.

This project has been longlisted in the house extension category of Dezeen Awards 2025.

Studio: Alexandra Buchanan Architecture
Project: Kent