A Sense of Order and Balance – East Melbourne Residence by Carr
Within its 19th-century heritage framework, East Melbourne Residence fuses time, space and a renewed sense of balance. Carr brings a deliberate order and formality through the creation of zones and the insertion of modern gestures, combining a refined restraint with a celebrated understanding of its context.
Nestled into the heritage rich enclave that is East Melbourne, the residence of the same name sees a deliberate rebalancing of its many parts and layered history. Originally built in the 19th century, the now heritage-listed Victorian terrace needed some much-welcomed cohesion. In describing their approach, Carr Principal Sue Carr says, “every project begins with a big idea. In the case of East Melbourne Residence, that idea sought to bring order and appropriateness of scale, respect for heritage and outright contemporaneity to a Victorian terrace. Central to the design is to achieve the ‘feel of the space’; the play of light, reflection, neutral materiality, the control of contrasts and integration of landscape.” Through the use of zoning and a clear delineation, Carr combines a refined restraint in celebrating the past, while carving the ideal platform for its future.
East Melbourne Residence sees four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a self-contained unit come together across the site, all addressing various elements. Within its heritage listing, ensuring a careful intertwining of restoration with the new elements adds a richness to the resulting home. Separated into three distinct zones, the newly defined home encases the original house, a restored outdoor courtyard and a rear dwelling, each conceived under the same unified methodology. Associate Lucy Cuthbertson says that “the studio addition is very much a modern interpretation of what can be seen in the laneway.” Addressing the laneway and responding with a similar language to other forms and vernaculars nearby, the addition references the silhouette of the original home, while its stark, zinc-clad exterior adds a modern and confident insertion.
Connecting the new with the existing is the outdoor courtyard space that offers a calm and composed respite, tucked between the two forms, offering glimpses of the past and the present. The space is dotted with a series of outdoor bonsai trees, while bluestone tiles stagger through the space, referencing the locally sourced material. Carr Director Chris McCue says,“ in this project we set out to provide greater clarity and legibility to the plan, ensuring that no spaces are redundant, everything has a purpose, revitalising a grand heritage house into a contemporary family home.” Internally, the heritage elements have been carefully restored and uncovered, where details, cornices and archways act as gestures to the past. A clean-lined and modern approach is then inserted throughout, with a consistent and pared back approach to materiality, form and finish, bringing all of the elements together with purpose.
Internally, the heritage elements have been carefully restored and uncovered, where details, cornices and archways act as gestures to the past.
Imagined as an enviable escape, East Melbourne Residence is crafted as a beautifully considered capture of the home’s past, while fashioning an appropriate and long-living future. Carr combines a sensitive appreciation of heritage with an impassioned understanding of the contemporary residential condition.
