The old Queensland worker’s cottages were built to deal with the heat and humidity of a subtropical summer. A hallway from front to back channelled breezes through the house, verandahs provided shade while its position perched on stumps allowed the air to circulate underneath and around. This inner city Brisbane renovation and extension in Gibbon St by Cavill Architects takes the those principles just a little further. In/out living is paramount. Boundaries are blurred as walls and windows move to open up the rooms to cooling breezes and the shade of overhangs and trees provides respite from the sun. It’s never really cold here, perhaps just a chilly winter morning here and there, so this house is all about the balmy subtropical days.