Enhancing What You Know – Yarra Bend by Austin Maynard Architects

Words by Bronwyn Marshall
Photography by Derek Swalwell
Build by Dimpat
Interior Design by Austin Maynard Architects
Engineering by OPS Engineers
Yarra Bend By Austin Maynard Architects Project Feature The Local Project Image (1)

Yarra Bend sees the reshaping of an existing residence to facilitate a graceful aging in place, enabling its owner to remain integrated within the community and continue living within home they love. Austin Maynard Architects focuses on enhancing the existing, integrating new and purpose-driven additions that elevate the everyday and their coming chapters.

Having lived in Clifton Hill, within the same home and area for over thirty years, the idea of having to relocate due to changing life conditions or stages was a startling one. Extensive research has shown the benefits of creating opportunity for ageing in place, for both the community and for the wellbeing of those who remain. A brief was swiftly formed around wanting to explore the transformation of the existing home into something that responded to who the client is, what they value and how they want to live for this next chapter. As both an addition and alterations project, Yarra Bend combines the original heritage cottage whilst rearranging additional volumes on site to allow for the insertion of valuable landscape relief throughout. Austin Maynard Architects are known for their appreciation of retaining and adding to lineage, seeing Yarra Bend emerge as a fulfilment of a personal connection to the inner north of Melbourne.

As it blends the old and new, the home needed to reflect and capture the owner, both in their preferences and how they wanted to use the spaces.

The new works see Yarra Bend founded on an enhancement of identity, independence and autonomy, allowing for the continuance of relationships within the community. The original and front part of the cottage remains in place, with the front two rooms standing as a reminder of the home’s previous chapters, converted into a combined study and bathroom, and a second bedroom. The remainder of the site is then given new life through the insertion of a central courtyard space that brings light and ventilation deep into the home, whilst increasing opportunities for the interior to be connected to landscape elements by way of air, sky, sun and incoming breezes.

To the rear, a double-storey volume neatly navigates the site, lightly clad with delicate metal work that extrudes from the familiar gabled roof form. As it blends the old and new, the home needed to reflect and capture the owner, both in their preferences and how they wanted to use the spaces. Despite the restrictive narrow site, an additional bedroom was added by elevating upward, allowing the lower level to remain open and connected, both internally as a reflection of contemporary life and out towards the north-facing garden space. With the future a key focus, sustainable systems have been integrated throughout, reducing an energy reliance and allowing the home to better engage with nature. A sense of openness is accentuated through a light palette, further warmed with timber and accent colours that reference the garden.

A sense of openness is accentuated through a light palette, further warmed with timber and accent colours that reference the garden.

Turning its focus inward and creating quality interior spaces and connections to the natural elements, Yarra Bend sees Austin Maynard Architects propose a considered and sensitive extension of its owner, allowing them to continue living their best life.