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Architects: STAR Architecture
- Area: 1510 m²
- Year: 2018
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Photographs:Peter Bennetts
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Lead Architect: Aleksandra Savic Rakocevic
Text description provided by the architects. The project for Hawthorn East Residence involved the restoration and modification of a two-story Italianate-style villa. The renovation of this heritage home honors the historical significance of the frontage, while the contemporary three-story addition and a series of social spaces internalize the view, providing privacy and reinforcing the landscape. This project is designed around two main elements in the client’s brief.
The first being a flowless interior transition from restored house to the addition at the rear, whilst the second is a series of flexible spaces opened to landscaped areas. Along with the heritage frontage and a contemporary three-story addition, the rear garden houses act as a collection of spaces linked through access and aesthetic design. These different ambients can be used as a private sanctuary or as an entertainment space for social gatherings, always providing a well oriented and ventilated space.
New basement comprises a garage, a car wash, a bar, and a home theatre, and is connected with an existing cellar underneath the heritage house. The lift/stair shaft connects all levels, along with the private sky lounge on the second story with an unobstructed view of Melbourne city. The contemporary addition - pool, gym, and pavilion, designed on top of the basement - created the collection of various spaces, linked through access and visual connection.
The design seeks to create contrast - between old and new, cold and warm, and heavy and light. The imposing nature of the new structures and natural stone surfaces are balanced with the contrasting use of green walls and transparency provided by the large glazed surfaces utilized in the sliding doors opening the ground floor spaces to the exterior spaces and in the three-story lift/stairwell tower.
Coming from New Zealand, one of our clients’ main design brief elements was a wish to reflect the New Zealand coastal feeling and colors in the architectural and landscape design. That’s achieved by combining blue pool tiles with green landscaping patches and with incorporation of the Pohutukawa tree in the landscape design. As a background, the native New Zealand timber Rimu was used as a cladding on the lift shaft and pool pavilion ceiling.
