There are occasions when planned renovations and extensions go just to plan. Then there are times when a makeover can actually make the home poorer by blocking off the flow of light. Of course, every home alteration is a product of the times and what worked a couple of decades ago might just not be relevant anymore. That is just what happened with this classic Federation Bungalow in St. Kilda, Melbourne where an improperly planned extension in the 90’s made the interior of the St. Kilda Side Yard House congested and dreary. Andrew Child Architect were called in to give this Aussie home a fabulous new makeover and that is just what we get with the new, contemporary addition that holds the kitchen, dining, and living areas.

Street facade of the beautiful solid brick Federation Bungalow in Melbourne








It is easy to understand the charm of this lovely new unit that has an open plan living space along with a kitchen and dining area in wood and white. Sliding glass doors connect it with the yard outside while smart timber battens and custom sunshade ensure that the extension into the side yard does not seem too bright or feel too hot in summer months. There is a lovely interplay between light and shadows inside the home now and even the older room in the existing bungalow are far brighter.

White and wood interior of the renovated home in Melbourne
Wood and glass extension of the classic Federation Bungalow in Melbourne
Contemporary extension to beautiful solid brick Federation Bungalow
Innovative custom-designed sunshade keeps out hot summer sun
Long corridors in white and wood bring ample natural light into this revamped St. Kilda home

Even with its concrete floors that help in passive heating and cooling, contemporary décor and clever reorganization of spaces, this exquisite home Down Under still manages to retain much of its old world charisma thanks to a street façade that is left untouched. [Photography: Rhiannon Slatter]

Lovely lighting adds warm glow to the slim wooden extension in the rear
New design of the house brings natural light into the smart St. Kilda Side Yard House
Open plan living area, kitchen and dining space of the renovated home in Melbourne
Smart modern bathroom in white with natural light creating a smart ambiance
Floor plan of revamped St. Kilda Side Yard House and extension by Andrew Child Architect

You’re reading Dull Federation Bungalow in Melbourne Gets a Bright, Modern Extension, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

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  • House LV1 (house nanchi 1 y 2)

    CASA LV1 (casa nanchi 1 y 2)
    BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE CONSTRUCTION
    The Casa LV1 (casa nanchi 1 and 2), is a multi-familiar conformed by two houses constructed in the same land, the main material used for its construction was white striated concrete.
    DESCRIPTIVE MEMORY
    The Casa LV1 (casa nanchi 1 and 2) is a complex of two houses designed for a family an elderly couple, their young daughter and their granddaughter. Each house has the necessary privacy for each development, with the interrelationship and coexistence of the family; they are located in an irregular diamond-shaped land of approximately 250m2, a gradient over 10% with a view to the southeast.
    The Casa nanchi 1, on its main floor has: living room, dinning room, kitchen, bathroom, main bedroom with closet and its own bathroom, this floor is directly connected with the service area; the lower floor has a hall, two bedrooms with closet and its own bathroom; the upper floor has a roofed recreation room and a garden terrace. All the floors are connected by a stair, and has a parking lot. The total constructed surface is of 160 m2.
    The Casa nanchi 2 has on its main floor: living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom and service area; on the upper floor it has: main bedroom with closet and its own bathroom, an additional bedroom with closet, a little play room and a bathroom; on the lower floor, where the entrance is, has: two parking lots and an exterior stair which is connected to the other floors. The total constructed surface of the house is 145 m2 excluding parking lots.
    Both houses share main entrance, service yard, green spaces and services.
    The houses are named after the nanchi tree (byrosonimacrassifolia) that is located in that land; it was respected and the project was adapted around it, to make it a natural decoration for the dinning room of the Casa nanchi 1. This house was designed for an elderly couple and it has a terrace in the upper floor, which is a recreational and relaxing space with a view of the surroundings to enjoy with the company of family, friends and guests. It has a double-height space which allows the development of the tree.
    The design of the Casa nanchi 2, which was designed for the daughter and granddaughter of the family, is inspired in the Brno chair, designed by the architect Ludwig Mies van ser Rohe, which not only allows a large volume, but also an efficient and free structural principle because with this solution is obtained an overhang of 4.85 m with a support of 2.85 m, generating a space without any support under the construction.
    The concept of the houses is derogates no only from the connection (interior-familiar, exterior-landscape), but also from the visual freedom that people perceive before entering in the house and also in the interior of them. This is fulfilled by the volumetric integration that defined the spaces of each house, both prisms have specific substractions that allow a formal integration of the two elements; in the Casa nanchi 1 the terrace is subtracted and in the Casa nanchi 2 the parking area is subtracted, transforming both elements without losing its integrity.
    The connection of both houses is so important that is not only achieved materially with the union of the two architectonic objects from the common entrance, connotating the link of the family, but also with the landscape, through the transparency in the facade of the two houses, which creates a visual freedom for the inhabitants. This gives a greater illumination of the spaces, producing a feeling of spaciousness and allows the air circulation due to the large windows that are handled by the users.
    The material, white striated exposed concrete and stone dust of the region, recalls the honesty of the materials, this simplicity benefits the environment, because it doesn’t use coatings in walls, fooors or roofs, contributing the less possible to the pollution. The exposed finishes means less production, transportation and utilization of pollutant materials. As said before, the free circulation of air allows a constant cleaning of the interior air which allows a natural regulation of the temperature, achieving termic comfort for the users and reducing the use of electronic devices that cools artificially the place. Besides, the same large windows avoid the unnecessary use of artificial illumination during the day allowing the entrance of sunlight in the morning.