Blairgowrie House | Epping

Heritage Renovation: Blairgowrie House, Epping

Blairgowrie House at Epping is one of those rare projects that feels especially significant.

All the custom new homes and residential extensions we design are special, but sometimes a project comes along that is truly exceptional, and Blairgowrie House is one of them. 

Originally built more than 110 years ago, this remarkable home is officially heritage listed as a 1912 Federation Arts and Crafts residence. Set on a private, park-like one-acre parcel of land, it is a property of real character and historical importance.

My role was to custom design a detailed rear extension of more than 400m² in a style that closely reflected the original 1912 architecture, which was no small task. In many heritage renovations, councils and owners often prefer the addition to be deliberately modern or contemporary in contrast to the original home. In this case, however, both the owners and council recognised how special the property was and wanted the new work to match the existing architecture as closely as possible.

Achieving that outcome took more than two years of careful design development and close collaboration with both the owners and Parramatta Council. Credit must go to Parramatta Council, who were highly engaged throughout the process and genuinely committed to achieving the best possible result. Thanks to that positive and collaborative approach, we secured Heritage Renovation DA approval within six months of lodgement, followed later by CC approval.

It was an honour and a privilege to be entrusted with the responsibility and duty of care required for a home of this significance. We recently returned to the property for professional photography and I asked the owners whether they were happy with the outcome. Their response was:

"It is perfect in every way possible. We would not change a thing." — The Owners, Blairgowrie House