At Gair Reno, the route from the shared interior to the deck is central to the design. The owners wanted their Castor Bay home to accommodate entertaining both inside and outside, alongside a substantial improvement to its private rooms.

The existing plan was inefficient. Adding floor area alone would not resolve the relationship between the kitchen, living spaces and accommodation. Modal Architecture developed a multi-level extension and reconfiguration that gives these parts of the home clearer roles.

The kitchen, entrance, dining and living areas become the shared centre. Their alignment with the outdoor living space establishes a direct relationship through the house to the deck. This is an architectural response to the entertaining brief: the places for cooking, gathering and moving outdoors are planned in relation to one another.

The deck has barbecue facilities and a kitchenette of its own. That provision supports its use as an outdoor entertaining area, extending the brief beyond a simple platform outside the living room. Interior and exterior spaces contribute to the same pattern of gathering.

Elsewhere, the extension adds bedrooms, study areas and two suites with walk-in wardrobes and ensuites. These private rooms balance the connected common spaces, giving occupants places that do not depend on the activity at the centre of the house.

Gair Reno gives the existing home a more useful organisation: shared life focused around connected living and entertaining spaces, with a broader range of private accommodation across the levels. The deck and kitchenette give the owners another setting for hosting, while the suites and studies retain room for quieter occupation.