Casa Famiglia

Casa Famiglia is a renovation and extension of a 1930s family home in Melbourne, reworked by BOarch as the house passed to a new generation. Designed for a young family who grew up here, the project mediates between honouring the home's history and making room for new memories, ensuring what was introduced carried meaning while complementing the existing dwelling.

The transitions between old and new are celebrated rather than concealed. They are marked with copper thresholds and patterned brickwork, while a large unifying roof gathers old and new, internal and external spaces together. To bring light and a clearer connection to the garden, important for keeping watch over young children, the extension introduces a north-facing skylight at the centre of the plan and opens the house onto the backyard. The interiors of the extension weave new voices into the existing fabric of the home.

The single-level dwelling spans 160 square metres on a 580 square metre site and was completed in 2016.

Architecture and interiors by BOarch (Christina Bozsan). Photography by Emma Cross.