In the 1980s, a librarian bought a heritage Victorian terrace house with her sister in Fitzroy North, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne. Forty years later, she called upon Atlas Architects to dramatically reimagine the home as a sanctuary for her and her cat, Dot.

“The house had deteriorated significantly over the years,” says Aaron Neighbour, the director of Atlas Architects. “The client came to us with the hope of building her dream home, but questioned if the building could still be restored and improved—or if she was better off selling the property.” For the renovation, the firm retained the heritage front facade whilst rebuilding the rest of the house to suit her lifestyle.

The original house had a lean-to structure at the rear and a front fence that the client had built with her father. Given the sentimental value of the original building, the architects made the decision to keep the heritage front facade and build a new addition to the rear. “This approach introduces new building elements without interrupting the facade rhythm of the street,” says Neighbour. “The reinstated elements of the original house, such as the front porch, retain the identity of the heritage place.”

A key part of the brief was to provide a comfortable home for the owner’s pet cat, Dot. Joinery shelves are spaced at climbable heights to allow the cat to traverse between the units, and a series of carefully located internal cat doors allow direct access to the cat litter tray in the laundry.

“The circular window awning adds an irregularity to the contemporary interpretation of the heritage place, creating a point of interest,” says Neighbour. “But, most importantly, it provides a porthole out to the world for the ‘queen of the castle’—the cat, Dot.”

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Another essential requirement was that the home have space for all the “luggage of living”—objects and possessions that the client has collected and accumulated in her lifetime. In response, the architects created either concealed storage or display space for every item in the home.

“We underwent a vigorous process of cataloguing and measuring the client’s belongings that she would like to bring into the new house,” says Neighbour. “The storage is zoned and allocated throughout the house according to its function, size, and frequency of use.”

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The site is narrow, with party walls on both sides, which presented challenges when it came to providing the interior with adequate natural ventilation and light access. The site does, however, have a north-south axis, with the heritage facade on the southern side. This created an opportunity to maximize the northern aspect by locating the living spaces toward the rear of the home.

This open-plan space encompasses a living room with a study nook, a dining area, and a functional kitchen in which everything is concealed behind sleek oak cabinetry. A black rectangular feature light above the concrete bench echoes the black-framed glazing in the living area that offers views of the surrounding neighborhood.

This large, glazed bifold door and highlight window create a connection between the interior and the small backyard, and help to facilitate natural ventilation and light.

Shop the Look

The wet areas are grouped in the center of the home, and a new guest bedroom features a glazed wall overlooking the street. Skylights were instrumental in creating quality natural light in these internal areas.

Inspiration for the clean and minimal material palette of concrete and light timber came from the texture of the urban fabric in the inner-city neighborhood. The raw aesthetic of concrete—found in the tiles in the shower, the bathroom basin, and the kitchen and living area countertops—is contrasted and softened by the abundance of light timber used for the floor and joinery.

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The elegant exterior materiality is designed to contrast with Fitzroy’s messiness and the richness of the urban texture. This was achieved through the use of a monochromatic palette, horizontal weatherboards, and vertical Mini Orb corrugated cladding.

“This is a house that is functional, low maintenance, and welcoming,” says Neighbour. “There are no grand statements or bells and whistles, but it gives the client pleasure because it works and flows well and has a place for everything.”

Related Reading:

A Glazed Addition Amps Up the Allure of a Victorian Home in Melbourne

An Architect Turns a Victorian Terrace House Into a Lush Inner-City Oasis

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Atlas Architects

Builder: Resicon Master Builders

Structural Engineer: Vayco Civil & Structural Engineering

Landscape Design Company: Atlas Architects

Interior Design Company: Atlas Architects

Cabinetry Design: Atlas Architects

Consultant Building Surveyor: Mike Neighbour

Photographer: Tess Kelly