The View in Kew
Victoria, Australia
A significant renovation to a Victorian era home on a steeply sloping site. The addition creates a light-filled, layered family home, deeply connected to landscape, respectful of its heritage, and carefully crafted to support evolving patterns of family living.
Our clients, a professional couple and their two kids, approached Bower Architecture after becoming the new owners and caretakers of this Victorian c1886 heritage home in Kew, an inner suburb of Melbourne in Victoria Australia. They wished to create their forever house that would adapt to all stages of family life and be perfectly suited to how they wished to live and the beautiful site.
The original house is solidly built of bluestone and brick and features wonderful details at the main entry level. Importantly it has beautiful views to the west over Studley Park and the ‘Raheen’ mansion not far away. The lower ground floor facing the rear had been renovated earlier to include a kitchen and family room, but these spaces were small, dark and had very little connection to the garden beyond.
The key concepts that came from our in depth listening and workshopping of the brief with our clients were that the renovated house should feel like a private sanctuary and the family’s “Happy Place”. It would connect the spaces within the home to the beautiful view, welcoming in abundant light and the natural elements when desired. It would be a connected family home with spaces for the family to come together, as well as spaces for them to retreat. The home would create ease and grace, simplifying life and the things inside the home.
The architectural response was to position the main living areas at the first floor to flood the house with light and capture the outlook to the treetops. The new elevated living ‘pavilion’, a few steps down from the original first floor, is positioned to create a generous north facing courtyard at the new living level. The large sliding glazed doors both sides make the new living spaces feel immersed in landscape and view, and also allow the original formal living room to retain its original aspect through the pavilion.
The courtyard enables the new living area to have a view back towards the original rear façade. An external spiral stair connects this terrace to the main garden below. Downstairs spaces were remodelled and created including bedroom suites, a gym, the garage and a rumpus/pool room with billiard table that looks over and connects to the pool. The levels are connected by a spectacular central stair and lift.
We love working with all of you (at Bower). You make us feel very welcome, comfortable and supported. We wanted to enjoy the journey, and we certainly have!
Clients, the View is Kew
The architectural expression of the addition includes new brick and concrete materiality in colours of the original house to tie past and present together in a respectful balance. New details take a contemporary take on those of the original retained house, such as strong horizontal datums and express brickwork bands. The interior design also taps into the colours and textures of the original Victorian house including warm earthy tones of stone, timber, ceramics and concrete paired with crisp dark window frames in the same colour as the original slate roof.
This project is now under construction by Montique Construction.
Traditional owners: the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation.
Construction well underway
