Teneriffe House in Brisbane by Vokes and Peters

Photo by Christopher Frederick Jones.

Set in its namesake Brisbane suburb, Teneriffe House has a storied history. Originally designed by prominent local architect AB Wilson in 1909, the house was built for a retired Scottish sea captain and his wife. From there, it was converted into an adult mental health hostel, with the original plan disfigured by 26 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, and its relationship to its riverside setting rendered almost untellable.

As the site is not protected by heritage listing, Vokes and Peters undertaking involved rehabilitation, conservation and extension of the home. “At threat of demolition under any other investor, the new owners (our clients) recognised its inherent cultural value and their custodianship for a significant piece of city fabric,” said Vokes and Peters.

With the surrounding suburb now one of the Brisbane’s most desired, the architects approached the renovation with a specific strategy, raising the home off the ground and moving it further back from the street to open up expansive garden space. The garden was key to reconnecting with the home’s origins, with all manner of social events having taken place there.

Photo by Christopher Frederick Jones.

Raising the delicate, painted timber building up onto concrete columns allowed the architects to reclaim the undercroft of the house to be used for main family living spaces. The new concrete beams and wide concrete arcade give structural support while framing a grassy amphitheatre and paved outdoor dining area. Black paint is used throughout the ground level composition to emphasize shadow under the building and a sense of cooling in the hot Brisbane climate.

Vokes and Peters endeavoured to further rediscover the spirit of the old building by ‘emptying the plan’, removing built-in furniture and amenities from the original core rooms. They explain, “Each room is restricted to one set piece, for example a new fireplace surround in dining room, a new book shelf in the library, and a marble recess in the master bedroom.”

Photo by Christopher Frederick Jones.

The lower level kitchen sits at the corner of the house, looking out onto the northern garden and pool. The architects refer to the stairs, reaching through all three levels of the home, as a room in their own right, providing the only visible circulation between floors. Upstairs rooms have access to a shady verandah, while the attic level is entirely self-contained.

Along with the concrete supports, a zinc roof executed in the historic Parliament profile gives Teneriffe House a diverse aesthetic, set against the original timber house. Evoking a ship’s bowsprit, the northern elevation points into a sharp wedge, which aids in bringing light to the kitchen and upper floors.