Leveson Place

by Chamberlain Architects

Leveson Place sits comfortably and confidently in its environs, successfully referencing both the older and newer social and architectural dialogues of North Melbourne. Fronting Leveson Street, the development of 10 two, three and four-bedroom townhouses adjoins a classic Victorian terrace on one side, and a converted warehouse turned-residence on the other. The building sits well back from its northern boundary with the redeveloped warehouse. It’s a somewhat bold move in a suburb where space is at a premium, but it’s delivered two important outcomes – ‘breathing space’ for the townhouses and access to the ground floor garages. In fact, this newly created, cobbled bluestone laneway provides a connection – physical, material and visual – right through to the existing laneway at the rear of the property. The party wall from the previous building on site was retained along this northern boundary, providing both privacy and yet another connection to the area’s heritage and character. This wall has been covered with steel mesh and planted out at its base with climbers, so that residents will eventually look out onto a vertical garden. The top of the wall is tied back to the townhouses via structural steel beams to create a pergola effect over the new laneway. The architecture on either side of the Leveson Street frontage speaks in two very different architectural languages. The challenge in designing the street façade was in ‘bridging’ these distinct and quite different forms. It was met by constructing vertical bands of brick, narrower and more closely spaced on the left-hand side to reflect the verticality of the old terrace house, and broader in the centre to reflect the squatter, denser form of the warehouse redevelopment on the right.

Interspersed with the brick are elements of glass and fibre cement black cladding, along with sections of vertical and horizontal steel railing. The central vertical band of brickwork has been articulated with protruding bricks, creating a subtle pattern that gives additional shape (and shade elements) to the façade. Says Glen Chamberlain of Chamberlain Architects: “When you look at the old buildings in the surrounding laneways, you see so much craft and detail in the brickwork. We wanted to capture some of that by introducing a finer grain texture to the façade – something you’re always looking to do in these multi-res developments.” At the rear and southern sides of the development, the external material composition changes. The red brickwork is used horizontally to define the ground floor levels, while a lightweight structural wall solution with a rendered natural concrete finish has been utilised for the upper levels. The palette of natural, warm finishes and materials carries through to the interiors of the project. Some owners have opted for timber-clad ceilings – an inversion that not only helps with the acoustics, but softens the spaces – while various townhouses feature judiciously exposed sections of red brickwork walling, as well as tiling that borrows from the tones and textures of the cobbled bluestone paving outside. The ingress of natural light and ventilation was a key consideration in the design. Opening skylights, extensive glazing and outdoor terraces attached to each townhouse have created functional, comfortable living spaces. Top floor living rooms have raked ceilings to capture more daylight and maximise internal heights, and each townhouse has its own solar panels. While paying subtle homage to its past, Leveson Place also speaks confidently about the future of inner-city living, where creative use of materials, light and space – both inside and out – can significantly enhance our urban experience.