This modest house of the Klinker-Brick in Preston was built in the 1950s as part of the New Land's apartment building, one of Melbourne's first large-scale residential projects by the Victoria Housing Commission.
The post -war house was still in almost original condition with many quirks when the owners approached SSDH to maintain a renovation.
“The customers loved the character of the house, but were also attracted to the size of the country and the possibilities that gave this for a one-story expansion with strong connections to the landscape,” says Jean-Marie Spencer, director of SSDH.
In the early meeting, the half -retired couple came to the emerging architects with pictures of houses in the middle of the century, who found it inspiring.
It triggered an interesting conversation about the contrasts between the closed, formal aesthetics of post-war architecture and the extensive approach to the outdoor indoor from the middle of the century. Both styles were built in the same period in the 1950s, but they could no longer be opposite.
'The existing house had very defined rooms and smaller windows in the typical heir style, which give a good feeling for housing and privacy. These rooms have largely kept their original purpose as a bedroom and the main baths, adds Jean-Marie.
Instead of continuing this language, the newcomer in the rear area feels much larger, with extensive windows overlook the garden rooms and less formally assigned functions to ensure flexibility.
“On paper, the plan is a house with three bedrooms, but two of these rooms are used as a second living area, studies, sewing rooms and guest rooms, depending on what is needed at this time,” says Jean-Marie.
The accessibility was also important for the half -retired couple, which hoped that this could be her “Forever House”. The internal floor plan is “step -free” and the rear offers overarching access to ensure that the owners can age on the spot.
The material palette for the new areas contrasts and complements the original residence.
Large wooden rays that occur throughout the interior extend to the outside in order to create a arbor in the garden and to stretch the living rooms into nature.
Externally, traditionally hidden details such as fine structural columns and the pressed rays are painted in Dulux yellow paint, creating a characteristic feature.
On a clear day, the yellow tint focuses on the sky and reflects a bright warmth in the evening on the brick walls and the interior lined with wood.
“It is not a color that we saw a lot in this size or in this context, and we were a little nervous about it, but as soon as it went on, we knew that it was the right decision for the project,” says Jean-Marie.
The resulting residence is full of small surprises like this, which challenge tradition, while it builds up in the architecture history of this house and introduces it to a new era.