Set within the established suburban fabric of Campbell, ACT, The Longline House is a careful reworking of an existing mid-century home — an alternative to the increasingly common knockdown and rebuild approach. In a suburb, and indeed across much of inner Canberra, where original homes are rapidly giving way to new builds, this project demonstrates how thoughtful alterations and a compact addition can greatly extend and enhance the life of existing housing stock while meeting the needs of contemporary family life.

The original dwelling had been altered in the 1980s with a poorly considered extension both from a thermal performance and spatial clarity perspective. This project began with its removal. In its place, the existing home was carefully recalibrated —thermally upgraded and spatially reconfigured to support an extended family dynamic, where relatives sometimes stay for weeks at a time. Internal layouts were adjusted to provide greater flexibility, balancing moments of retreat with generous communal zones.

Central to the transformation is a new kitchen and dining wing. Positioned halfway between the level of the existing house and the garden below, it mediates between building and landscape. Previously, the home perched high above the rear yard, disconnected from daily life; the young family rarely engaging the garden beneath. The new wing, along with a series of decks and terraces, establishes a gentle descent into the landscape. Occupants are now immersed in the tree canopy, with dappled light and shifting seasonal outlooks forming the backdrop to everyday rituals of cooking, dining and gathering. Outdoor spaces are conceived as borrowed rooms — extensions of the interior — strengthening both physical and visual connections to the garden.

Importantly, the street elevation remains largely untouched. The familiar scale and character of the original mid-century dwelling are retained, preserving the identity and layered history of the suburb. Rather than erasing the past, the project works with it —demonstrating how existing homes can be adapted to suit modern life through precise intervention rather than wholesale replacement.