Take a tour of Toohey Forest House, a post-war Brisbane home preserved and extended to balance old and new, private life and community.

Rather than demolish, this project celebrates the existing house, retaining its street presence with only minimal interior modifications. The original kitchen was repurposed to create a master suite, keeping all bedrooms within the original structure.

A new pavilion housing the kitchen, dining, and living areas sits quietly at the rear, connected to the existing home through a glazed gallery. Between the two, a lush tropical courtyard brings greenery deep into the home and forms a meandering path to the pool.

At the front, the yard has been transformed into a native garden with species endemic to the nearby Toohey Forest. Deliberately unfenced, it invites the local community in, with an in-ground trampoline at its heart offering a gathering space for neighbourhood children. Inside, a hidden cubby tucked into the kitchen bulkhead adds a playful retreat for the youngest occupants.

Toohey Forest House is an exploration of balance between preservation and reinvention, structure and landscape, public and private life.

Architect: Bones Studio (2024)

Contact the host of Tour of Toohey Forest House