Located south of the Yarra River in the inner-city suburb of Prahran, 5km south-east of the Melbourne CBD, Prahran Residence comprises of a renovation and extension to an existing single fronted worker’s cottage.
The programmatic brief required a three-bedroom home, each with an individual walk-in-robe and bathroom/ensuite, study nook, laundry, living, dining, kitchen, and double-garage, all the while maintaining a beautiful connection to outside, on an extremely tight lot.
The mas of the building is carefully articulated to maximising green space, natural light and ventilation. The front room of the existing dwelling was maintained and repurposed as a bedroom. We removed the front door from the stret elevation and positioned it further along the northern boundary, pushing the entry behind the front bedroom. The remaining ground floor is separated into two areas – the kitchen/dining, and the living room – linked via an open courtyard and a light-filled ‘bridge’ that also functions as a study nook.
On the first floor, a significant – and now mature – roof garden hugs the western volume, while a growing-trellis screen shelters the eastern volume from the harsh western-sun. These green landscape features provide both bedrooms with privacy and protection, as well as beautiful aspect out.
Recycled brick, plywood surfaces and dark-charred timber cladding offer a natural, sustainable, and durable expression to the project. These minimal materials, strategically used, allow light to flood into the interior spaces creating warm and comforting rooms that appear constantly connected to the outdoor landscape.
Prahran Residence resolves the particularly compact conditions of the site to provide with an exceptionally green, light-filled home that is always connected to the outdoors – something quite unexpected for its size and constraints. The house is equally fitted with comfortable communal spaces to get together, as well as small nooks for calm, peace, and respite.
| Type | Residential, alterations & additions |
|---|---|
| Location | Prahran, Victoria |
| Country | Wurundjeri |
| Site Area | 221m2 |
| Building Area | 172m2 |
| Completion | 2022 |
‘We were blown away when we first saw Project 12’s initial design and now that it’s finished, we love living here.’
‘From the initial concept we were excited at the considered design that encapsulated our brief. The limitations of our site were overcome and transformed into areas that we now love living in every day. One of the design surprises was the green roof over the lounge room which provides an unexpected aspect from the master stairwell and the terrace. The practicality of the design, in conjunction with both bold and discreet architectural features, make our house a joy to live in all year round.’
Stacey, Client
First Floor
Ground Floor
Located south of the Yarra River in the inner-city suburb of Prahran, 5km south-east of the Melbourne CBD, Prahran Residence comprises of a renovation and extension to an existing single fronted worker’s cottage.
The programmatic brief required a three-bedroom home, each with an individual walk-in-robe and bathroom/ensuite, study nook, laundry, living, dining, kitchen, and double-garage, all the while maintaining a beautiful connection to outside, on an extremely tight lot.
The mas of the building is carefully articulated to maximising green space, natural light and ventilation. The front room of the existing dwelling was maintained and repurposed as a bedroom. We removed the front door from the stret elevation and positioned it further along the northern boundary, pushing the entry behind the front bedroom. The remaining ground floor is separated into two areas – the kitchen/dining, and the living room – linked via an open courtyard and a light-filled ‘bridge’ that also functions as a study nook.
On the first floor, a significant – and now mature – roof garden hugs the western volume, while a growing-trellis screen shelters the eastern volume from the harsh western-sun. These green landscape features provide both bedrooms with privacy and protection, as well as beautiful aspect out.
Recycled brick, plywood surfaces and dark-charred timber cladding offer a natural, sustainable, and durable expression to the project. These minimal materials, strategically used, allow light to flood into the interior spaces creating warm and comforting rooms that appear constantly connected to the outdoor landscape.
Prahran Residence resolves the particularly compact conditions of the site to provide with an exceptionally green, light-filled home that is always connected to the outdoors – something quite unexpected for its size and constraints. The house is equally fitted with comfortable communal spaces to get together, as well as small nooks for calm, peace, and respite.
| Builder | Samtaz Construction |
|---|---|
| Landscape Architect | Annabelle Drew Landscape Architect |
| Photography | Glenn Hester |
