Introduction

In Attadale, a riverside suburb of Perth, Australia, a dilapidated mid-century bungalow has undergone an extraordinary transformation. Reborn as Onda, this family residence is a stunning example of adaptive reuse that merges mid-20th-century typology with fluid modern forms. Designed by State of Kin, an interdisciplinary studio based in Perth, this 2024 project represents a broader shift in global residential architecture—where heritage, climate responsiveness, and sculptural minimalism converge.

Onda is not just a house—it’s a study in how architecture can respect history while confidently projecting into the contemporary. For architects, builders, and homeowners alike, Onda offers a masterclass in design principles, materiality, and spatial strategies reimagined for living today.

Historical Context and Approach

The original home was a deteriorating bungalow—a typology born during Australia’s post-war suburban expansion. Echoing the North American Craftsman bungalow and the modest British interwar family home, these low-slung buildings were functional but often spatially rigid and thermally inefficient.

Rather than demolish, State of Kin adopted an adaptive reuse strategy, aligning with international trends that favor architectural layering and sustainability. With the shell retained and stabilized, the architects reconceived the internal flow and re-skinned the envelope to harmonize mid-century memory with sculptural expression.

This method is increasingly common in residential architecture across Australia, North America, and Western Europe, where preservation instincts meet post-industrial revivalism. The result is the enriching of spatial narratives without erasure of the past.

Fluidity in Form: Design Principles that Move

The guiding principle of Onda is fluid circulation. Rather than traditional room divisions, sweeping curves shape internal transitions—softening thresholds, embedding views, and establishing a spatial rhythm akin to natural flow.

These curvilinear geometries are both formal and functional, offering expansive sightlines and nurturing movement throughout the home. Floor plans draw the eye and body toward courtyard light or cityscape glimpses. Onda quite literally means “wave” in Italian, and the interiors embody this identity—not through nautical clichés but through sinuous spatial negotiation.

Compared with orthogonal planning still dominant in many renovations, Onda’s approach prioritizes sensory richness over spatial efficiency—a mind shift also observed in bespoke residential designs by John Pawson in the UK and SJB in Australia.

Site Strategy and Spatial Configuration

Site Area: 991 m²
Built Area: 515 m²

Situated near the Swan River, the site provides both outlook and topographical nuance. Major living zones are oriented toward the water and Perth skyline, optimizing views and natural light. However, privacy is not compromised. Angled balconies, deep overhangs, and sculpted balustrades work together to shield interior spaces from direct visibility without blocking access to the outside world.

This outlook-privacy balance is a recurring issue for residential architects globally, particularly in urban and riverside settings. Onda’s response—through morphological adaptation rather than window dressing—shows the maturity of environmental sensitivity in high-end yet contextually grounded design.

Materiality: Tactile and Regional Expression

Onda’s material selection roots the house in its local environment while engaging in a broader architectural dialogue across continents.

• Limestone and Natural Stone: Harvested locally, these materials lend gravitas to the structure, aligning with Mediterranean principles of thermal mass and permanence. This is reminiscent of villa restorations in southern Italy or modern bungalows in Spain and the south of France.
• Timber: Used extensively in flooring, custom joinery, and cladding, the timber introduces warmth and softens the formality of stone. Its rich tactility draws parallels with Scandinavian design norms, which emphasize biophilic interiors and a seamless indoor-outdoor experience.
• Rendered Masonry: A technical and aesthetic choice, rendered masonry reinforces the structure’s thermal performance while enabling the undulating contours that define the project’s aesthetic signature. The rendering process also ensures longevity within Perth’s hot, dry climate.

Structural Techniques and Building Performance

The studio made a decisive choice to retain the bungalow’s masonry shell, reinforcing it to support new architectural aspirations. This includes cladding the existing form in rendered masonry that flows into broad archways and projecting balconies.

These elements aren’t simply decorative; they perform vital functions:

• Providing thermal insulation and massing essential for passive regulation of internal climate.
• Acting as shading devices during hot months while allowing sun penetration in winter.
• Serving as transition elements between indoor and outdoor life, extending usable living areas and allowing constant cross-ventilation.

Bespoke fenestration plays a supporting role: arched, full-height glazing expands spatial perception and reinforces the building’s sculptural identity. It privileges organic aesthetics while maximizing daylight—a tactic seen in European Passivhaus renovations and Californian mid-century revivals alike.

Interior Detailing and Spatial Strategy

Inside, Onda is resolutely contemporary yet emotionally resonant. The plan has been wholly reorganized to create continuous, flowing spaces. There are fewer doors and thresholds, as circulation becomes less about movement between zones and more about immersion within a cohesive spatial idea.

This is emphasized through custom cabinetry, curved stone benches, and timber-lined coves that articulate each moment without disrupting the overall rhythm. For residential architects, the implication is significant: spatial complexity can be subtle, embedded in the fullness of material and junction, rather than overt through ornament or compartmentalization.

The plan orients movement toward curated vistas—both private (landscape courtyards) and public (skyline views). This intentional “view-framing” is a design move increasingly found in high-end renovations across London’s leafy suburbs and LA’s canyon homes.

Comparative Global Trends in Residential Architecture

Onda joins a growing compendium of international works that revisit post-war suburban forms with a sophisticated yet respectful eye:

• California Bungalow Revivals: Projects such as those by Assembledge+ revitalize 1940s homes through indoor-outdoor continuity and updated energy performance.
• Mid-century UK Home Extensions: Firms including Amos Goldreich Architecture apply sculptural interventions to retain typological modesty while enhancing spatial richness.
• Scandinavian Adaptations: Lightweight interventions that use timber, terrazzo, and concrete to update traditional cabins without loss of ethos—resonating especially with Onda’s tactile philosophy.

What binds these examples to Onda is a shift from visual nostalgia to experiential transformation; from preservation of image to augmentation of experience.

Learning from Onda: Practical Takeaways

Whether working on an urban townhouse renovation in Toronto or a rural villa restoration in Tuscany, Onda offers rich lessons:

• Adaptive reuse allows heritage, sustainability, and budget considerations to align—reducing construction waste and carbon footprint.
• Curvilinear planning can be applied on any scale to soften spatial transitions and enrich the user experience.
• Material expressiveness amplifies lived quality. Honesty in stone, wood, and render promotes emotional resonance and design longevity.
• Strategic view-framing enhances daily rituals—cooking, resting, bathing—by anchoring them in light, landscape, and rhythm.

Even modest interventions—such as adding a curved hallway or reclaiming limestone for exterior bands—can bring these philosophies into everyday homes.

Project Team

• Design Architect: Ara Salomone
• Interior Designer: Alessandra French
• Landscape Consultant: Tristan Peirce Landscape Architecture
• Engineer: Forth

Conclusion

Onda is a resonant example of what contemporary residential architecture can achieve when context, curiosity, and craft collide. It demonstrates how existing suburban homes—even those seemingly past their architectural primetime—can be revived into meaningful, materially honest, and experientially rich residences.

For professionals seeking to evolve the bungalow typology or homeowners hoping to reimagine rather than rebuild, Onda lights a confident path forward—one of imagination grounded in place.