Case Study: A Fresh Start—Knock Down Rebuild with Architectural Intent
When a home no longer serves its purpose, but the location is right, a knock down rebuild offers a clear path forward. At Destination Living, we work with clients who want more than a new version of the same house—they want to reimagine what their site can be.
A knock down rebuild allows us to start with a clean slate, creating a home that is tailored to lifestyle, orientation, and context, without leaving the suburb or street you love. Whether the motivation is to replace an ageing structure, maximise land value, or accommodate changing needs, our approach is always the same: design-led, site-specific, and deeply considered.
In Aberfeldie, the brief was to replace a dated single-level home with a sophisticated, private residence that maximised the site’s potential. Working within council setbacks and site constraints, we delivered a generous, inward-facing layout anchored by a central courtyard. This allowed for natural light, privacy and separation—all while creating a calm, layered home with strong architectural presence.
In Brighton, the client wanted to retain the prestige of their location while dramatically improving the function and quality of the home. The knock down rebuild approach enabled a clean architectural response, designed to suit the family’s lifestyle today while adding long-term value. The resulting home offers expansive internal volumes, refined detailing, and seamless indoor-outdoor transitions, tailored for both family living and entertaining..
The East Keilor Retreat replaced a dated family home with a calm, contemporary residence that embraces nature and privacy. A flowing indoor–outdoor layout were all made possible by starting fresh—allowing the design to respond to the block, not the limitations of the previous structure.
KDR also allows us to resolve issues that may have existed in the original build. In Balwyn, for example, the site’s slope had never been properly addressed. Our design stepped the new home with the land, creating split levels, a lower-ground retreat, and new views—all while maintaining street presence and access. Similarly, in McCrae, the rebuild offered a chance to reorient and open the home to the coastline, something the original dwelling never fully achieved.
Even in high-value locations like Kew East, a knock down rebuild can be a smart investment. Here, the new design blends form, material richness and layered internal planning to create a home that reflects the client’s aspirations while elevating the value and presence of the site.
Every knock down rebuild starts with a vision: not just to build something new, but to build something better. With our integrated architecture, interior design and construction teams, we manage the entire process—from planning approvals to the final handover—ensuring design integrity every step of the way.
If your current home no longer suits your needs, we can help you unlock the full potential of your block—with a new home designed for how you want to live now.
