One house back from Patonga Creek, this reworked fibro cottage by Cracknell & Lonergan sits within one of the last intact fishing villages on Australia’s Central Coast. Completed in 2010, the project retains the scale and modest street presence of the original shack while extending the plan through a series of low-slung additions arranged around a landscaped courtyard and pool.

A side walkway now leads directly into the new wing, where steel framing, concrete blockwork and full-height glazing sit alongside the lightweight fibro structure of the original house. The addition contains an open kitchen, dining and living area beneath 3.8m ceilings, with ribbon windows and glazed doors opening onto the courtyard garden. A nine-metre reclaimed timber bench runs the length of the kitchen.

The original cottage accommodates additional bedrooms and living spaces, while a separate self-contained suite at the rear — accessed independently from the laneway — provides flexibility for guests, work or extended family. Outdoor walkways and planted courtyards link the different parts of the house, creating shifts between enclosed rooms and open-air spaces.

Patonga House is listed for sale via Modern House Co with a guide price of $3.5m to $3.75m.

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