The Linton House is a multigenerational home for a young family seeking a permanent base in a leafy suburban pocket of Melbourne’s inner eastern suburbs. Located on an idyllic curved street overlooking a railway reserve, this interwar period flats conversion sought to meet the needs of a growing family while embracing the verdant surroundings.  

Existing double storey duplex, characterized by its terracotta roof and stucco wall, is sheer in size but well positioned on the site. Its retention is logical. Its alteration focuses on minimal-yet- transformational modifications. The rear portion of the duplex is heavily reworked to yield efficient circulation leading into the addition and view of the garden. 

The addition is a simple charred timber volume perched atop a robust stucco base augmented by splays and billows framing the views of the garden, host to a medley of edibles, flowering under plantings, evergreen shrubs, deciduous trees, and the lush backdrop of neighbouring trees.

Connecting the duplex and the addition is a scalloped walnut staircase ascending three levels punctuated by a volumetric shift at the top of the stairwell with a view of surrounding greens.

Photography by Pier Carthew.