Abundance of Light – Princes Hill House by Rob Kennon Architects

Deviating from the typical style of terrace typology, Princes Hill House is imbued with a sense of openness to create a more connected interior that utilises the entire site. Rob Kennon Architects focuses on extending the existing linear form and creating a moment of arrival at the rear that links to the private, landscaped outdoor space, all bathed in a newfound lightness.

Set within Princes Hill, a small area in Melbourne’s inner-north, Princes Hill House is both a renovation and addition to the existing structure. To elevate the home from within, establishing a connection beyond the exiting form’s walls was key in opening and aligning the internal functionality whilst increasing access to the natural elements. With sunlight brought in from the expanded façade and the upper-level skylights, the interior becomes more open and is refreshed by natural ventilation. By replacing the existing ground-floor narrow rooms and light court with a sun-drenched open plan space, Rob Kennon Architects increases both the perceived scale of the home and ease of flow.

With sunlight brought in from the expanded façade and the upper-level skylights, the interior becomes more open and is refreshed by natural ventilation.

Spread over two floors, the home relies on the design of the facade to illuminate the sometimes dark and disconnected centre spaces found within similarly shaped residences. Using the height of the structure, portions of the overall silhouette are shaped to bring light down to the ground floor. By replacing the rear configuration of rooms with one shared, open space, a sense of togetherness is encouraged. With full-height glazing able to be pulled back to one side, the newly defined living, dining and kitchen space becomes its own destination. The interior spills out into the rear landscape, dissolving the threshold between inside and out and resulting in an expansion of useable floor space.

Despite the constraints of the home, a cohesive and calm palette ensures all interior areas feel like an extension of one another, like its own disconnected place of retreat. Extending out into the garden and entertaining space, the deliberately restrained finishes and materiality ensures unobstructed movement, aided by the façade being tucked away at the building’s edge. Flexibility was also important in both the planning of the home and ensuring it would adapt and evolve over the coming years.

Extending out into the garden and entertaining space, the deliberately restrained finishes and materiality ensures unobstructed movement, aided by the façade being tucked away at the building’s edge.

Cool yet warm, Princes Hill House adopts a linear and simplified approach to improve the sense of scale from within. Instead of shying away from the challenges of the site, Rob Kennon Architects enhances the existing heritage elements and integrates a contemporary overlay that will see the home last for many years to come.