An Unexpected Re-Sculpting – Hawksburn House by Doherty Design Studio

Opening up and connecting an existing home, a revised approach to planning injects Hawksburn House with a sense of flow and consistency. Together with building design by Ari Alexander Design Group, Doherty Design Studio reimagines the interiors, re-sculpting the home with deliberate and refined moments of the unexpected.

Nestled within Melbourne’s inner south-east, the same named home sits comfortably in Hawksburn and draws on the surrounding established vernacular as an openly connected family home. Originally built in the 1930s, and previously a disparate duplex structure, the home was expanded to become one shared residence. Drawing even further from the want to expand the home and instil a sense of generosity, the team opened up the many small rooms that were void of sensical flow and overlaid a revised plan that enabled the home to reflect a more contemporary way of living. Together with Ari Alexander Design Group, Doherty Design Studio altered the interiors of the home by opening the space to the surrounding landscape and creating key lines of sight internally and beyond the building thresholds.

A hierarchy is created through the layering of elements, adding a sense of sculpture and movement throughout.

Built by ECOAST Construction, together with landscape by BLAC. Design, Hawksburn House focuses on both its internal movement and the surrounding landscape beyond. The openness encourages a sense of flow and a direct association with the incoming natural elements. Whilst a stripping back process sees a series of more logically arranged zones, a key effort was made in the addition of adornment throughout. Without significant existing heritage detail to celebrate, the spaces called for an adding of embellishment. Throughout, moments of unexpected insertions see vibrant colours, textures and contrast used to animate the home and inject a connection to the personalities of its owners.

Bold statements, such as the pink acrylic bedroom door upon entry, offer a glimpse of something awaiting in the distance, whilst a palette of warm timber and painted plaster elements offer a sense of the familiar within a typical residential setting. A hierarchy is created through the layering of elements, adding a sense of sculpture and movement throughout. Brass accents and black stained timber sit alongside expressive natural stone as pieces of interest to engage with throughout the day. As a priority, the communal convening spaces enable a gathering of residents, with flexible and moveable elements to expand and contract as needed.

Throughout, moments of unexpected insertions see vibrant colours, textures and contrast used to animate the home and inject a connection to the personalities of its owners.

Through key alterations and the infusion of generosity and openness, Hawksburn House becomes an enlivened series of spaces, expanding on its original intent.