SOUTH MELBOURNE COMPACT
LOCATION
South Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
YEAR
2024
STATUS
Completed
PROJECT SIZE
Floor area 151m2
BRIEF
We were approached by the owner to convert their single fronted, single story Victorian terrace home into a modern family home for 5 people.
ARCHITECT’S APPOINTMENT
Concept design
Town planning Application
Building Permit Documentation
OUTCOME
From the outset we knew this would be a challenge as the streetscape was under heritage controls, going too high with an upper level would cast shadows on neighbors, and also visually impact them with added building bulk. The solution was to firstly perform a complete study of the possible impact of shadows, then design a shell-like form which would create as little critical back-yard shadow as possible. Then design the home within this volume.
The 2 front bedrooms were retained and renovated. A new shared bathroom was incorporated next to these. A new living, meals and kitchen area was located to the rear opening up to a courtyard.
The upper level contained the main bedroom suite, and another bedroom or sitting room adjacent to a roof terrace which has some views of the city skyline.