Inner city Melbourne reinvention with a twist

Often architects challenge their clients to trust them with a bold and unusual vision and this house is a case in point. While the reinvention of these twin Victorian terraces in Melbourne could have been predicable and boring, Andrew Maynard Architects obliterated that possibility with this amazing design.

Masterminding the design involved deliberately creating two separate forms, with the original terraces at the front juxtaposing the stunning three storey cedar clad structure at the rear. A clear gap remains between the two structures, with glass infills over the space in-between. Spiral stairs interact with both the aged brick of the terrace and the new cedar, while raw steel plate and detailing defines the threshold between old and new. Dark plywood paneling rises through the light-filled void between the structures. Mirror was used for the cabinetry in the dining area to make the space feel large while reflecting both light and the garden surroundings.

Andrew Maynard Architects approach sustainability as core responsibility of any new structure and so there are many sustainable features including double glazed windows, high performance glass roofs with automated louvres, high performance insulation and solar panels.

And I love the childlike black graphic of a house has been incorporated into the front of the cedar extension in recognition of the iconic street art of Melbourne’s lane ways.

[Photography by Peter Bennetts]