Central Gardens House
Surrounded by hedges, trees and vines, Central Gardens House is cocooned in greenery. Abutting the eponymous park in Melbourne’s east, the contemporary extension, completed by Olaver Architecture, unites illuminating white, warm oak and lively green, anchoring the heritage home in layers of sky, hearth and earth.
On a narrow, south-facing allotment, the brief called for spaciousness and luminosity. Park views formed the central gesture, while the expansion was designed to house three generations in comfort. Within the heritage constraints of a site closely shouldered by neighbours, Olaver Architecture composed a sequence of ceiling shifts and voids to choreograph light and movement indoors. Beyond the walls, trees and cascading greenery over the glazing, allowing daylight and a sense of seclusion to coexist.
Blending contemporary and heritage elements, contrasts are inevitable yet balanced. The shift from a white hallway to warm timber panelling marks a material change, while the subtly shortened corridor creates room for stairs and a concealed laundry. Crossing the ‘bridge’ to the primary suite becomes a pause point – a chance to glance into the living room below or up to the skylight above. Both a threshold and link, the bridge weaves vertical movement into the home’s rhythm of flow and stillness.
That same skylight, paired with the site’s gentle slope, marks the entry into the rear communal space. In the kitchen and dining zones, oak is the calm constant – textural and tactile – forming a timeless backdrop for three generations to gather. At the island, an informal dining spot is always ready, suiting a family accustomed to casual meals.
Soft white curtains and sliding glass doors blur the boundary between inside and out. Skylights brings in shifting daylight while protecting privacy from neighbours. Outside the main bedroom, the first-floor aluminium facade continues this interplay, with angled apertures on one side and perforated, corrugated cladding on the other – designed to frame views of Central Gardens. By night, the backlit panel becomes a beacon, visible from the park below.
By adding a second storey, Olaver Architecture creates flow not only through physical space but also through sightlines. Voids between floors balance openness with intimacy, while skylights temper the south-facing orientation, oak brings warmth and greenery draws the eye – encouraging one to retreat inward or outward to the park.
Architecture and interior design by Olaver Architecture. Build by BFC Built. Flooring by Made by Storey. Stone and tiles by Neolith. Lighting by Sphera. Appliances by AEG, ASKO Appliances and Fisher & Paykel.
