Art House & Studio

Art House & Studio is a Melbourne project built on restoration, re-use and recycling, where natural local materials are reimagined through local manufacturing and craftsmanship. The starting point was to keep as much of the original Victorian residence as possible. Externally, the weatherboards and Victorian detailing were retained, while the Baltic pine floorboards were lifted, de-nailed and reused alongside the skirting boards, architraves, doors and windows. Walls, floor and ceiling were heavily insulated and the existing windows re-glazed, lifting the home well beyond current performance standards.

Local artisans produced handmade elements throughout, including concrete benches, timber windows, stairs, balustrades and shelving, joinery, brass fixtures and fittings, plant shelves and tiles. Raw, natural materials finished with no or low-toxicity products create a healthy indoor environment that stays comfortable year-round.

While sympathetic to the original house, the extension is handled in a contemporary way through its materials, detailing and form. Moving through the home is a sequence of interconnected spaces that play with levels, volume and light, from a first-floor internal courtyard to a ground-floor sunken lounge, out to a contoured landscape and across to a detached artist studio at the rear.

Completed 2019. Architecture by Zen Architects. Photography by Emma Cross.