Albert Park House is a dramatic, moody renovation of a 1900s Victorian terrace in the inner Melbourne suburb of Albert Park.

Recent renovations had caused the Victorian home to lose some of its charm, while the rear of the home looked upon a dreary courtyard and garage. It became the architect’s mission to restore the home’s soul and improve its outlook.

Design response

The rear outlook has been improved with new windows and plaster render on the double-storey garage volume.

The new windows’ protruding steel reveals give spatial depth and create the illusion of a thicker wall. The formerly opaque glass has also been replaced with a more transparent glass and fitted with mesh screens. This creates delicate patterns of light and shadow inside the house, while abstracting the details of the neighbouring properties.

Picture windows have also been used throughout the house, to focus on the lush gardens.

The shell of the Victorian terrace was retained, but there were some key changes: an ensuite and dressing room were added, and the threshold between the private spaces at the home’s front and the public spaces at the rear were separated by steel doors.