A new apartment interior can stop abruptly at the front door. On the other side, that door appears among neighbouring entrances in a shared landing, perhaps beside an original stair and terrazzo floor. Replacing it changes more than the first view of one home.
In a Bondi apartment renovation, we would include that shared side in the architectural study. The entrance needs a considered appearance and a practical arrival, with its role in the building properly understood before a new leaf, lock or floor finish is chosen.
Read the particular building beyond the apartment plan
Bondi's older housing includes different forms of shared occupation. Council's 2007 heritage study records Federation residences above the shops at 85–101 Bondi Road and, separately, the pair of three-storey Art Deco flat buildings at 134a and b. These are specific historical examples, not a description of every home or its current heritage status.
An entrance reached by a common internal stair presents a different task from a door opening directly outdoors. Record the actual route, landing, neighbouring doors and the space immediately inside the apartment. Establish the ownership and building arrangements rather than assume everything beyond the paint on the leaf belongs to one owner.
Waverley's current interwar provisions call for upgrades to respect original fabric and the character of the foyer. Its design guidelines also value original common interiors. For a relevant building, record the surround, wall finish, flooring and stair details with the door. They can make an ordinary arrival feel settled and should inform the extent of work.
Compare repair and replacement with the same requirements
Find out what is wrong before proposing a replacement. A damaged finish, an awkward latch, poor closing or a change requested for security are different briefs. Have the condition and any safety function assessed by the appropriate practitioners, using the building's available records.
A door separating an apartment from a common area may have a fire-safety role. Establish the required performance for this opening and the evidence for the existing assembly. Building Commission NSW distinguishes maintaining the required performance from unnecessarily upgrading a measure simply because a newer standard exists.
Compare any feasible repair or adaptation with a complete replacement on that basis. Where replacement is needed, coordinate the leaf, frame, hardware, seals and surrounding construction. A period appearance or a substantial weight does not establish that the assembled doorway meets its requirements.
Draw the proposed frame beside the original architrave and skirting. A new frame can change the opening's apparent width and depth, while its installation can disturb more plaster or floor than the leaf itself. Determine what can be retained with the building and conservation advisers before the surrounding details are removed.
A plain new leaf may sit quietly within an older interior, where an appropriate assessed solution allows. Inventing decorative panels to make it look old is a different intervention. Judge the proposal beside the other entrances and retained details, with the required performance carried through.
Make arriving and leaving work on both sides
Test the entrance with the actual closing and locking arrangement. Show where someone waits, reaches the handle and moves clear of the leaf. Coordinate any particular access needs with the building's required closure, security and escape arrangements; those decisions should be resolved together.
Keep the shared landing clear. An entry cupboard, shoe storage or bench that improves the apartment should have a deliberate place within its authorised interior, rather than spill into the route used by neighbours. A shallow cabinet immediately inside may also need to move if it obstructs the door's full operation.
New flooring belongs in this drawing. Measure the finished levels at both sides and show the transition, trims and any proposed mat recess. A raised interior finish can alter the threshold and door clearance. Resolve that with the selected assembly before the flooring is ordered, rather than plan to cut the door afterwards.
Resolve ventilation without relying on the shared entrance
A security screen outside the apartment door can seem a way to admit air while maintaining a barrier. Fire and Rescue NSW recommends against these additions at unit fire doors, identifying the risks of the main door being propped open and its frame being compromised. Its current position leaves the determination to the appropriate authority or certifier.
Do not make leaving that main door open the ventilation strategy for the renovated home. Investigate the apartment's own openings and ventilation needs with the relevant advisers. An uncomfortable interior deserves a proper response, alongside a door that can perform its required role.
Have proposed locks, viewers, seals and other fittings assessed before they are added to an existing safety-related doorway. Selecting components separately for appearance, draughts or convenience can leave their combined effect unresolved.
Include the entrance in the renovation scope
Establish the relevant owners corporation arrangements, current property controls and professional responsibilities early. NSW strata guidance directs owners to their scheme's by-laws and approval processes. An attractive design drawing does not confer authority to change a shared or safety-related element.
Plan the work with the building occupied: protection of retained flooring, delivery and removal, and continued use of the common route need coordination with the project team. Include making good around the frame, rather than leave an unfinished strip between the apartment fitout and the older foyer.
Bring benssur the apartment plan, photographs from both sides of the entrance and any available building or door records. We can develop an interior renovation whose arrival belongs to the improved home and its shared setting, with local consultant involvement agreed for the particular NSW project.
Further reading
- Waverley Council — current development control plan
- Waverley Council — 2007 heritage study, specific Bondi Road buildings
- Waverley DCP — current interwar building provisions
- Waverley — interwar building design guidelines
- Building Commission NSW — fire-safety measures in strata
- Fire and Rescue NSW — unit security and screen doors
- NSW Government — strata renovations
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