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This humble clinker-brick home in Preston was built in the 1950s as part of the Newlands Housing Estate, one of Melbourne’s first ever large-scale housing projects by the Housing Commission of Victoria.
The post-war house was still in near original condition, with many quirks, when the owners approached SSdH for a renovation.
‘The clients loved the character of the house but were also drawn to the size of the land and the opportunities this gave for a single-storey extension with strong connections to landscape,’ SSdH director Jean-Marie Spencer says.
In the early meetings, the semi-retired couple came to the emerging architects with images of mid-century style homes that they found inspiring.
It sparked an interesting conversation about the contrasts between the closed-off, formal aesthetic of post-war architecture and mid-century’s expansive, outdoor-indoor approach. Both styles were built in the same period amid the 1950s, yet they couldn’t be more opposing.
‘The existing house, in typical heritage style, had very defined rooms and smaller windows that gave a nice sense of enclosure and privacy. These spaces largely kept their original purpose as bedrooms and the main bathrooms,’ Jean-Marie adds.
Rather than continuing this language, the new addition at the rear feels much larger, with expansive windows overlooking the garden spaces and less formally assigned functions to ensure flexibility.
‘On paper, the plan is a three-bedroom house but two of these rooms are used as second living areas, studies, sewing rooms and guest bedrooms depending on what is needed at the time,’ Jean-Marie says.
Accessibility was also important to the semi-retired couple, who hoped this could be their ‘forever house’. The internal floor plan is ‘step-free’ and the rear offers ramped access to ensure the owners can age in place.
The material palette for the new areas both contrasts and complements the original residence.
Large timber beams that feature throughout the interiors extend outside to create an arbour in the garden, stretching the living spaces into the outdoors.
Externally, traditionally concealed details like fine structural columns and the expressed beams are painted in Dulux Yellow Varnish, creating a distinctive feature.
On a clear day, the yellow tint brings the sky into focus, and in the evening, it reflects a glowing warmth onto the brick walls and timber-lined interior.
‘It’s not a colour we have seen a lot of at this scale or in this context and we were a little nervous about it but as soon as it went on, we knew it was the right decision for the project,’ Jean-Marie says.
The resulting residence is full of little surprises like this that challenge tradition, while building on this home’s architectural history, and ushering it into a new era.
