Today we take you through a double volume alteration and addition to the rear of an existing single-story Victorian brick terrace house in Melbourne. The North Melbourne Terrace designed by Eldridge Anderson Architects aims to maintain a discreet street profile, concealed in the visual contours of the existing silhouette. To maximise utility with modest footprint and get top value from the budget, let’s take a look at how the team employed a number of design and functional strategies to this home.
“The new additions take cues from the parameters of the existing building, whilst opening up the enclosed space to a generous social zone and northern light. Although the existing frontage and bedrooms play a key role within the total project, they remain largely as they were due to the scope and available budget focused on the new works at the rear. This includes a lower level bathroom, kitchen and living space, as well as an upper level bedroom and ensuite suspended through the exposed steel portal structure.” – Eldridge Anderson Architects
The orientation of main areas in the north were directed towards the sky to allow sunlight to seep through deep into the space in winter, while the folded roof plane promoted an extruded sense of space and privacy by restricting view lines. The internal spaces were predominantly rigged out with darker elements to give emphasis on the graduated sense of depth within the limited footprint.
The living area features a full-width sun lounge, and the structure gently narrows back and links through to an elevated side deck that continues through to engage with the terrace garden. Sliding timber screens along the east and automated louvres on the north provide further privacy and solar adjustment, further accentuating the predominantly neutral colour palette that creates a fluid ambience that evokes a placid, moody experience.
“The additions to the North Melbourne Terrace join a conversation with the existing house by inverting the enclosed and introspective format of the front into an open and optimistic space at the rear. It is an accommodating scheme that invites a heightened sense of contrast whilst providing a comfortable space for an individual owner, or a regular gathering with all their friends.” – Eldridge Anderson Architects
The North Melbourne Terrace by Eldridge Anderson Architects is a perfect example of an effortlessly luxurious home built with exemplary attention to materials down to the smallest details.
House Project: North Melbourne Terrace
Architect: Eldridge Anderson Architects
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Type: Renovation
Photographer: Derek Swalwell
