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Architects: Lloyd Hartley Architects, True Story
- Area: 142 m²
- Year: 2023
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Photographs:Dean Bradley
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Manufacturers: Artedomus, Brodware, Fibonacci , Kvadrat, Nubrik, Perini Tiles, Warwick Fabrics
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Lead Architects: Dan Gayfer, Lewis Marash
Text description provided by the architects. Located on a prominent, yet coveted, corner block in the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy North, this was a rare opportunity to elevate an archetypal Victorian terrace to something statuesque yet precisely site-specific. Acknowledging the adjacent buildings at the rear and the original structure retained at the front, the lower level of the new addition is constructed of traditional red brick.
Both elegant and dynamic, this richly colored 3m high wall is made even more compelling with the implementation of a stack bond pattern and curves both vertical and horizontal. To provide relief from this discernible yet fitting structure, the brick transitions to a lightly colored profiled metal cladding on the second story. The building's context, on the corner of a main road, is part industrious, part rugged, and undoubtedly exposed. The architecture and its materiality, bricks, and metal, also portray these characteristics. Highlight windows along the eastern façade take advantage of the corner site, and the living spaces subsequently experience levels of natural light that few terraces can achieve. The corner site also offsets any overlooking restraints, stunning windows wrap around the rear and eastern facades providing unimpeded views across the street and parkland to the south.
The interior architecture and design radiate characteristics of mid-century modern design, stylistically a contrast to the building's more robust and grandiose architecture. Contradicting the exterior, the interior exudes a delicateness that draws the inhabitant in and surreptitiously engages their senses. Wood is featured strongly throughout, the warm, beguiling tones of both brushbox on the floor and blackwood throughout the joinery making it difficult for one to leave.
The house elevates everyday living to an exciting level, with bespoke features throughout such as built-in furniture and joinery handles providing an engaging and fulfilling experience. Atypically for a single-fronted terrace, a sunken dining area sits at the southernmost end of the ground floor, the built-in bench facing the landscaped rear courtyard. With a delightfully detailed bar and bi-fold doors that open to the outdoors, this is where the family spends most of their time. A study, den, and rooftop terrace on the first floor all provide places of solitude when one needs to escape the more energetic spaces below; the rooftop terrace's northern aspect and views across the street corner are the ideal setting for a cocktail at dusk.
