Wemby

Designed by Lloyd Hartley and executed in conjunction with True Story in Melbourne, the renovation of this Victorian terrace house in Fitzroy North was Lloyd Hartley’s first completed project in Australia. Located on a prominent corner with the existing house immediately abutting the footpath, this 5m wide site provided a number of architectural challenges. The existing heritage terrace house was retained and refurbished with a new 2-storey addition to the rear designed to be sympathetic to the original building. The finished home sits definitively on the site providing a strong, yet refined, 30m long elevation to the street. Moving seamlessly from the existing house, the new extension utilises a similar form and material palette but through subtle refinement, intentionally differentiates between new & old. The robust exterior, with its direct relationship to the footpath, required careful consideration of how best to draw light into the lower level living spaces. High windows, skylights and vertical connection through the 2-storey volume to the sky creates an internal environment that connects to a series of courtyards and terraces allowing the home to “breathe”. The interiors are playful, richly textured and full of character. Colourful and finely detailed, the internal spaces reflect our clients’ personalities and provides many an opportunity for house plants!!