Set in Prahran, Australia, this Victorian house underwent an extensive remodel involving the redistribution of the ground floor, and the addition of a first floor. The original home had been split up into a number of small compartmentalized spaces.
The architects, StudioFour, had to reconcile the ground floor plan and introduce some “strategic replanning”. The result is a two-story home that’s flexible enough to adapt to the changing needs of the occupants.
| Project Details | |
|---|---|
| Architect | Studio Four |
| Photos | Shannon McGrath |
| Location | Prahran VIC, Australia |
| Year | 2013 |
The project has been titled after its location: Alfred Street Residence. The home’s long and relatively narrow footprint has lead to rooms being positioned sequentially. An entrance corridor connects the front of the home to the very back of the home (and the intervening rooms found in between).
Changes were made to floor levels and ceiling heights so as to subtly define rooms without having to introduce partition walls. These measures, combined with the new joinery work, allow the rooms to flow into one-another.
The residence features an extensive courtyard, something which the architects wanted to take advantage of and integrate into their vision for the revised home. Large windows and patio doors help maintain a connection to the outside space, while also brightening the adjacent rooms.
The rear of the home features the kitchen, which is connected to the courtyard, and is designed for outdoor dining. An internal courtyard was created adjacent the living room. It acts as an extension to the room, and again reinforces the connection with the outside world.
The upper level introduces a second bedroom, a larger bathroom, and a study. From the outside, the first floor is shrouded from view thanks it to being set back from the front facade.
This design strategy allowed the first floor spaces to be exposed to varying levels of interaction with the landscape, both immediate from the tree tops of the birches from the courtyards below, to the expansive cityscape views beyond, whilst maintaining a level of visual privacy from the adjacent apartments. – Studio Four
Photos © Shannon McGrath