Reimagine by Architecture Works

Originally built in the 1980s by the client’s father, Reimagine by Architecture Works is an affectionate renovation in Caulfield North, Victoria, that elevates the functionality of the existing home while infusing it with a bold sense of contemporary sophistication.

The client’s brief called for Architecture Works to recalibrate the layout and organisation of the interiors, with a focus on carving more generous communal areas that cater to a modern lifestyle. The existing structure’s shell was pushed and pulled to accommodate this ambition, including re-forming the front of the home to allow renegotiated internal spaces to extend outwards. Architecture Works’ strategic alterations and additions carve a residence with a distinct visual rhythm and striking stepped geometries while also acknowledging its sentimental value to the client.

The client’s brief called for Architecture Works to recalibrate the layout and organisation of the interiors, with a focus on carving more generous communal areas that cater to a modern lifestyle.

The envelope of the home is composed of interlocking rectilinear forms punctured by a long canopy and oversized pivot door entryway. Overlapping concrete planes form a graduated pathway up to the threshold, drawing visitors inside to face a sculptural feature staircase behind the opening. The doorway and overhang are seamlessly clad with slender timber battens, dramatically contrasting the zone of entry against the pale render and dark-framed glazing that wraps the rest of the building’s frontage.

Positioned at the heart of the home as its new focal point, the kitchen not only needed significant upgrades but was also completely relocated by removing the existing sitting room. “The original brief was to retain the existing location for the kitchen, however, we felt that this wasn’t going to solve the main issue – the functionality of the kitchen,” explains Architecture Works associate director Steven Kyzintas. “Therefore, the key moment [of the design] was when we proposed to relocate the kitchen to the middle of the house.”

The envelope of the home is composed of interlocking rectilinear forms punctured by a long canopy and oversized pivot door entryway.

The restored communal rooms flow effortlessly between one another across the ground floor, unifying the spaces without hard divisions to build visual and circulatory permeability. For Architecture Works, breaking down boundaries was not only important to craft a feeling of spatial harmony and transitional coherence but also to curate the free movement of natural light from the glazed perimeters.

The extended kitchen, pushed closely to the site boundary, introduces a lushly landscaped lightwell and green backdrop behind an introduced glass edge. This gesture allowed the dining room to expand while also manoeuvring a new crucial link to nature. “A major element was the visual connection to the garden – both front and rear – throughout the house,” Kyzintas explains. “We created a free-flowing connection between the kitchen, dining and living room, and now all three spaces are connected to the outdoor area.” Reimagine relishes in its many connective moments, supporting a modern lifestyle with respect for the past.

Architecture and interior design by Architecture Works. Build by Construction Management Works. Landscape design by Formation Landscapes. Joinery by E&C Joinery.