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When the owners of this Northcote property asked Adi Atic, director of FIGR Architecture Studio, to renovate their family home, their brief focused as much on atmosphere and experience as on functionality.
‘The clients approached us with a desire to transform their existing Northcote residence into a home that could evolve with their young and growing family,’ he explains.
The original home, known as Wandilla, provided an important starting point.
‘We sought to preserve its established character and the qualities that had initially attracted the clients to the property,’ Adi says.
They retained the original red-brick facade — a feature the owners loved — and the rooms at the front of the house. The 90s rear addition, however, needed to go. In its place, a modern extension that opens out to the garden, courtyard, and swimming pool.
‘The ambition was for something contemporary that would sit comfortably alongside the existing architecture, celebrating its heritage rather than competing with it,’ he says.
The extension features folded roof planes wrapped in spotted gum timber, recycled red brick and black metal joinery.
‘We were conscious that the materials should not simply decorate the architecture. Each material needed to reinforce the spatial experience, contribute to the atmosphere and age gracefully over time,’ says Adi.
Inside, an open-plan kitchen, dining, and sunken living area is separated by surrounding shelving, level changes, and the freestanding fireplace.
‘Positioned at the transition between the kitchen and the slightly sunken living room, the fireplace acts as a sculptural element that visually anchors the space. Its slender black flue also reinforces the verticality of the soaring roof above,’ Adi says.
‘Previously, the home had a more compartmentalised arrangement with limited connection between its living spaces and the garden. The new design establishes a much more intuitive relationship between cooking, dining, relaxing, entertaining and outdoor activities.’
Calming timber hues, soft whites and natural stone ground the interior, allowing striking black exterior accents to provide contrast without overpowering the spaces.
‘Ultimately, we wanted the old and new to feel connected without disguising their differences. Each part of the house reflects its own time, while contributing to a coherent architectural whole,’ Adi explains.
