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east melbourne house – discrete renovation

The subject site contains a two-storey brick Victorian terrace with a bluestone cellar beneath. The terrace is on the heritage register known as Canterbury Terrace. Canterbury Terrace is a group of sixteen residences built in 1877 and is the longest known group of terrace houses in Victoria. The brief required rearranging activities and spaces to better cater for a young family and to provide more usable room within the existing walls.

Because of heritage constraints, most of the building work is contained within the existing structure. External works are limited to a new translucent-roof carport, a BBQ area, landscaping, and rejuvenation of the front facade. The design solution involved removing the worn internals of the existing house and replacing them with a coherent, simplified palette. Light-coloured reflective surfaces, mirrors and natural timbers were introduced to brighten the rooms and create a restful, unified environment.

The first-floor master bedroom is combined with an inserted timber-clad “pod.” This pod — a rectangular cube floating within the historic fabric of the house — contains an ensuite and wardrobe. The pod demonstrates a deliberate attempt to honour the past while offering a contemporary design solution.

The renovation offers a sensitive and sympathetic response to a historically significant inner-city dwelling.