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When architect Dan Webster was first brought in to have a look at this Victorian home in Albert Park, he explains it was ‘well in need of a renovation and facelift, and to be brought into the current age.’ The narrow block and limitations of the rear laneway meant that clever design was necessary to maximise functional space, ‘whilst maintaining usable and aesthetically pleasing outdoor space’.
The client brief was to restore the front of the house, and retain the Victorian features and character. As a property with a heritage overlay, the renovations were required to fall within heritage guidelines, and be respectful and proportionate to the original home. The architects worked to maintain and enhance the façade, and the identity of the front rooms of the home, whilst introducing an elevated two-storey addition at the rear of the house, that doesn’t dominate the home’s quaint single storey frontage.
In reconfiguring the home, two original bedrooms have been retained and restored, whilst a new shared bathroom, kitchen dining and living area, and study have been added. Dan explains ‘a central courtyard was achieved to allow northern light into the living space, and create cross ventilation.’
The upper floor provides more space without increasing the home’s footprint, and introduces a master bedroom with ensuite, a separate powder room and rumpus room. The rumpus opens out towards the front of the home, and a terrace makes use of the roof space. This second level offers views across rooftops towards Albert Park College, without interrupting the traditional façade from the street. The architectural answer to business at the front, party at the back!
