Tralee Residence
Tralee Residence is a tale of how one Melbournian family can mature thoughtfully within a heritage home. This suburban project by Templeton Architecture reflects a creative collaboration built entirely on trust, insight and attention to detail.
This renovation sees the evolution of a lived-in suburban home to a light-filled and family-focused residence. One that softly and expertly blurs the line between heritage sensitivity and contemporary design. Tralee Residence sits atop a generous yet typical suburban block in Windsor, Melbourne. With a gentle slope and no distinct natural features, this very malleable site allowed for a single-level design that encourages a natural flirtation between the indoors and outdoors. The residents, however, remain grounded in this daily exchange of acoustics, tone and texture.
Emma Templeton, founder of Templeton Architecture, was able to illuminate the client’s vision – a vivid picture from the outset. “After many, many years in the original home, their primary desire was for a space that felt overwhelmingly calm and functional. It had to be easy for a family with two teen boys to thrive in their different routines,” she says. What unfurled was a very refined aesthetic that allowed for flexibility and independence, without compromising on emotional or physical comfort.
The adults’ wing, comprising the primary bedroom, ensuite and study, was intentionally zoned away from the children’s bedrooms to cultivate a greater sense of peace and privacy. The two very intentional living areas also accommodate alternate schedules and interests within the family unit. Balance became the unwavering backbone of this timeliness transformation.
Skylights, courtyards and stairwells were strategically introduced to filter daylight deeper into what was once quite a dark, internal spine of the home. A remarkable roof deck with a trafficable skylight (the most significant structural addition), sunken just below the hipline of the original slate roof, has become a very warm and welcome focal point of the rejuvenated floor plan. The surprisingly generous platform offers 360-degree views of the city skyline, and an additional outdoor experience from the garden below, while maintaining the integrity of the heritage form.
Templeton again savours this idea of balance, after opening up the space to so much natural light. “The extensive northern glazing demanded careful environmental control. High-performance glass, deep cantilevered awnings and layered landscaping were used to temper summer heat at Tralee Residence, in a way that still delicately demands visual and spatial connection to the outdoors.”
The material palette is heavily guided by this permanent celebration of the surrounding landscape. Emperor format Krause bricks were chosen for both the external and internal cladding of the extension, given how their elongated proportion emphasised the horizontal form of the single-storey dwelling. This energetic push and pull between inside and outside is what motivated the decision to have brickwork dance around the garden and timidly mark the territory for where these individuals will fine tune their identity.
This is a future-proofed home that is perfectly attuned to the values and personalities of a family intent on finding connection within every corner.
Architecture and interior design by Templeton Architecture. Build by SL Construction. Landscape design by Grounded Gardens.
