Elsmore, Bronte

ELSMORE is one of the premier properties in the beachside suburb of Bronte. It comprises a two storey heritage listed residence and a separate cottage, sited in an elevated, corner position, on luxurious 2772sq m of land. The project involved the addition of an infinity edge swimming pool and a third storey addition.

Surrounded by lush, perfectly manicured gardens and hidden amongst established trees, Elsmore is a treasure that hardly makes a statement in the street.

The only part of the building clearly visible from the street is the grand, front elevation of the building, which dates back to 1886 and has been badly run down. As part of the project, this front part was meticulously renovated and restored to its original form and glory. Horrible, blue terracotta roof tiles were replaced with a more becoming slate roof and copper ridges and cappings, certainly making a very positive contribution to the streetscape.

The rear part of the building has been badly altered and chopped in the past. It is here that the new, modern three story wing was created. Sitting in the middle of the block, well away from the street boundaries and framed by magnificent old fig trees, its scale is barely discernible from the street and therefore, it has no impact on its surroundings.

One of the main challenges in this project was to open the house up to the surrounding gardens and to make it light and airy, while maintaining proportions appropriate to the original part of the house.

The service areas were relocated to the South side of the building, thus allowing the North and East aspects to be maximized for living spaces, which now enjoy a wonderful flow and relationship with the outdoor living areas overlooking the pool and gardens.

The project was a wonderful team effort. It was a pleasure having Graham Brooks Heritage Architect to assist with all heritage aspects of the project. Barry Smith Engineers weaved magic in realizing “the impossible” structural challenges and we had the privilege of working with one of Sydney’s best builders – Ron Conti of Conti Constructions. Kerrie Hanton was invaluable in her wonderful ideas, knowledge and incredible dedication to the finest details of the interior design.

The building was restored and added to with huge amount of love and care. The client and all involved were of the view that a property of this calibre deserves the best solutions and the best materials. Accordingly, there was no room for cutting of costs or for anything “standard”. Countless details were worked and reworked to meet the client’s very high expectations and it was understood, that quality always comes with a high price tag.

The clients were delighted and appreciated the pivotal role of good design in achieving a successful outcome.

The brief for the project required that all five upper-level bedroom suites have en suite bathrooms. To meet the hot water consumption demands, the house was fitted with a Rotex flow and return hot water system. The advantages of the Rotex system are that instant warm/hot water is available at all the water points through the house regardless of distance away from the HW unit. The Rotex equipment was thus located in the basement, totally out of view – this was a far superior solution to the standard instantaneous hot water units, which would have been visible in various locations on the external walls. Further, the instant availability of hot water presents a huge saving of water consumption over the lifetime of the building by eliminating endless litres of cold water wasted down the drain in anticipation of hot water to flow.

To enable long term sustainability and maintenance of the extensive grounds of the property, a custom designed  80,000L concrete rainwater tank was constructed. The tank is located totally underground, below the rolling lawns of the front garden.

Passive solar design principles have been applied throughout the new extension at the rear. Operable clearstory windows and skylights allow natural light to enter the core of the building and hot air to rise and escape. The house is comfortable all year round.

The residence now comfortably accommodates all the members of the family. It is functional and beautiful. The clients love all the modern comforts, fine details and light filled interiors. The property’s heritage has been restored and preserved so that it may be there for many future generations to enjoy.