A New Life for a Former Parsonage – Daylesford 1863 by Moloney Architects
Originally a parson’s residence, Daylesford 1863 is the fusing of a restored heritage home with a newly conceived extension to fit a contemporary brief. Moloney Architects combines warm and textural materiality to create a series of interconnected spaces that effortlessly flow and unite with landscaped elements.
Located in Daylesford, an area known for its proximity to the nearby natural springs in Hepburn and a popular location for occasional homes for inner-city Melbourne residents, the home of the same name is sited in the central church precinct of the town. Originally built as a parson’s residence in 1863, the home was inevitably the recipient of a number of renovations and insertions over the years, the most recent in the 1980s and 1990s. These works were decidedly insular and did not comprehend the home as a whole. Moloney Architects takes a more holistic approach than these previous iterations, bringing together the old and the new through a considered and heritage-conscious lens, imbuing a sense of purpose to the existing and a considered deliberation to the additions.
Built by Hayden Bromley, the home sees the breaking down of the whole into three main elements – the Parsonage, the Pavilion and the Gallery spaces. Each with their own identifiable presence, the delineation of each is intended to create micro destinations and a concentration of function of each. The Parsonage includes the formal living space, a study, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a terrace space and occupies the original building envelope of the heritage home. In these spaces, the original formality of planning is retained, and the crafted details are restored to highlight the narrative of the time it was conceived. The Gallery is then the connecting conduit between the old and the new, bridging between the Parsonage and the Pavilion as a long hallway with its own purpose-built hanging rack for the display of artworks. The space also houses a concrete plinth that can be used for the display of sculptures and as a seat.
The home sees the breaking down of the whole into three main elements – the Parsonage, the Pavilion and the Gallery spaces.
The Pavilion then sits at the rear boundary of the property and reads as a modern structure. It is comprised of white brick and full-height glazing, with openings framed in black steel. The placement of a secondary connected structure then creates a walled courtyard space, offering privacy and adding formality and structure at the same time, while also creating opportunities to admit natural northern light. The space sees planes of brickwork that create shadows and external rooms, while the overhead timber pergola structure mediates the sunlight and unwanted heat gains. The materiality is warm throughout, where timber and brick are used to express textural variation against smoother surfaces. Integrated furniture and seating elements embed a permanence to the spaces and their functions, while allowing a flexibility through the other moveable elements within the space.
Daylesford 1863 extends the life of the original parson’s home, while creating a modest and considered contemporary extension that matches a contemporary lifestyle. Moloney Architects has used restraint and an understanding of context to create a home of purpose.
