How to unobtrusively add space and flexibility to a modest, single-story home perched atop a steeply sloping site? These were the questions architect Christopher Polly sought to answer when designing and managing the renovation of a home in Sydney’s Annandale suburb.

Polly solved the conundrum by inserting an extension behind and beneath the original home to dramatically increase its floor space and exposure to sunlight. Light tunnels through the renovated home, entering through the addition’s glass walls and skylights, and refracting off vaulted ceilings. The spacious sensation created by this light isn't illusory. Polly’s design doubled the number of living spaces, bedrooms, and bathrooms. The home owners and their three children now have the freedom to retreat to their own areas or congregate in one of the residence’s generous communal spaces.