Mygunyah by the Circus by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design

At the edge of a verdant park in Melbourne’s Fitzroy North, Mygunyah by the Circus is a project of dichotomies.

The generous family home by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design is defined by the sensitive restoration of an existing terrace house, the integration of an indigenous gardenscape and the subsequent dialogue between two rich Australian histories.

“Mygunyah is an Indigenous term for ‘my hut’,” explains architect Matt Gibson, director of the eponymous practice tasked with the design of a home for a young family of six. The name of the project adorns the parapet of an existing Victorian terrace house in tidy, raised lettering, an original feature of the 1800s building. While addressing a typical English crescent or ‘circus’, the project also draws inspiration from the historic residential system, which encircles a common area once abundant in grassland.

Entry to the home is preceded by a garden abundant with indigenous planting, a landscape that was restored to reflect the site’s historic grasslands.

The heritage building was one of an identical pair, and although its neighbour sustained several alterations over its lifetime, Mygunyah remained largely unchanged. A generous allotment along the western boundary of the single-fronted house – occupied by a dilapidated rose garden – presented a critical opportunity to expand the three-bedroom home for the family. “They wanted to add light, better integrate with the garden and create a home that could cater for their family for years to come,” explains Gibson of the client brief, adding that it presented a chance to integrate the natural history of the site within the design.

Entry to the home is preceded by a garden abundant with indigenous planting, a landscape that was restored to reflect the site’s historic grasslands. Gibson describes the design narrative as “an archaic artefact nestled within a primal, natural setting”, referencing the treatment of the Victorian facade within the lush planting. Beyond this address to the street, several landscaped zones strike a line between function and folly, each performing the purpose of outdoor rooms in and of themselves. An edible garden provides homegrown produce, a service garden conceals bike storage and clotheslines and a picnic garden offers a space to retreat and enjoy the private landscape.

The three pavilions derive their forms from the rich heritage context, abstracted and simplified as contemporary volumes.

Enhanced by the landscaping, the concept for Mygunyah unfolded as a program of three distinct pavilions. The first – there furbished heritage object – contains ground-level formal living spaces and bedrooms on the upper floor, including a spacious main suite. The second pavilion manifests as an extension by way of a contemporary interpretation of the original house – the kitchen and dining spaces make up the lower-level occupation, with additional bedrooms on the upper floor. The third pavilion makes the best of the abandoned lot with a new north-facing volume nestled within a lush gardenscape, dedicated to family living.

The three pavilions derive their forms from the rich heritage context, abstracted and simplified as contemporary volumes. The textural richness of brick is applied in a bold, monolithic manner to the extensions, combined with asymmetrical form-making that has resulted in carefully considered dwellings sympathetic to the environment. “The overall result is highly customised and tailored… one that delights in the experience of materials and the story of old and new,” says Gibson. “Any new work is deliberately set free from the old.” Recessed elements and playful apertures articulate a strategy of intentional delineation between the heritage and the contemporary, introduced at critical moments of transition between buildings via a glazed central pathway. These moments, flooded with natural light, offer both connection and separation.

With a rich history, Mygunyah by the Circus exercises appropriate restraint to celebrate the most significant elements of its storied heritage.

Interior finishes are informed, in part, by the rich materiality of the building’s exterior to maintain continuity of the design. Natural tones and textures are favoured with the use of brick and timber, reclaimed or sourced locally. Salvaged terracotta bricks are used for warmth and durability in high-traffic areas and blur boundaries between living spaces and an exterior courtyard. Laid in a herringbone pattern on the floor, the material transcends enclosure lines to further connect the exterior spaces. Gibson speaks passionately about the versatility of the materials across the project: “Brick has the advantages of great thermal properties, durability, low maintenance.” He adds that the selection of finishes enabled the design team to respect the context without constraining the design outcome by “using the material in innovative ways … being highly crafted, sculptural … beyond the conventional.”

With a rich history, Mygunyah by the Circus exercises appropriate restraint to celebrate the most significant elements of its storied heritage. The success of the project, however, is described by Gibson not as the sensitive restoration of the Victorian house, nor the reintroduction of forgotten indigenous planting – it’s the shared experience with the client. “It was a truly collaborative process and one in which they have great ownership and pride, where much care was taken,” he says. He also alludes to the fundamental priority of continuing Mygunyah’s story: “It bears well for great legacy, great ongoing care of the home and great ongoing memories.”

Architecture and interior design by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design. Build by Overend Constructions. Landscape design by Robyn Barlow Design. Engineering by Clive Steele Partners. Bricks by Brickworks.