Located in Northcote, Garth was once a dilapidated nineteenth century Italianate Victorian masonry dwelling who has since been restored and added to with an elegant and restrained timber addition to accommodate a young family of five and two energetic dogs.

© Derek Swalwell

Architects: Ola Studio

Location: Melbourne VIC, Australia

Construction: Wade Lovich

Area: 180.0 sqm

Project Year: 2015

Photographs: Derek Swalwell

© Derek Swalwell

From the architect. Located in Northcote, Garth was once a dilapidated nineteenth century Italianate Victorian masonry dwelling who has since been restored and added to with an elegant and restrained timber addition to accommodate a young family of five and two energetic dogs.
© Derek Swalwell

Ground Floor Plan

© Derek Swalwell

The original house is one solid form with all rooms contained within a single volume, and on a high level when considering how to add to what was already there, a conscious decision was made to approach the design with architectural contrasts and similarities. The new build adopts the rectilinear forms of the old, but varies their sequence and size to create a series of intimate internal and external spaces. Externally the new addition reads as a reserved collection of rigid forms stacked on ...