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Princes Hill Residence by Freadman White and Flack Studio
As one of the few Art Deco reminders in the area, Princes Hill Residence saw the blurring of old and new, with Freadman White and Flack Studio enhancing key connections while remaining true to the combined dwelling’s artisanal approach.
In Princes Hill, you’d be surprised to come across anything resembling the Art Deco era – Victorian, Edwardian or Federation, sure – but the more experimental and early iterations of increased density living from the 1920–30s seem to be prominent on the south side of the Yarra River. “It really is a unique style of architecture as is the proposition itself,” says Ilana Freadman, co-founding director of Freadman White. “The project was one of a few in the area led by a collective of female developers who developed a few of these types of homes – ones that look like one freestanding house, but actually contain two residences – and honouring that legacy was important to our approach.” Both Freadman White and Flack Studio focused on retaining as much as possible, celebrating those initial ambitions of pushing boundaries, while still maintaining a clear identity.
“We took an honest approach,” says David Flack, founding director of Flack Studio. “It was a great collaboration between both disciplines – architecture and interior design – where we were on the same page from the beginning about retaining the original details between the levels, and we specifically didn’t want to be able to see the difference between old and new.” Working closely with heritage consultants, internalising the existing external stair was crucial. The solution was wrapping the structural element in a translucent plexiglass, creating privacy through the fluted nature of the sheeting. “We also wanted the response to be as sympathetic to the existing dwelling as possible – with every detail connecting back to the original,” adds Ilana.
Located in the inner north of Melbourne, the home celebrates the transformative power of adaptive reuse, where restrictions of heritage controls encourage and channel a creative solution to the evolution of our cities and suburbs while also honouring the past. “Although there have been minor additions and tweaks made to the form – apart from the minor pull-out of the facade to the rear – these changes are all contained within the one outer envelope that existed,” says Ilana. As well as increasing connections internally, it was also important to connect outward and to the garden. “We were able to add additional volume to the rear, after demolishing a stair, without affecting the overall form,” says Ilana, “and the addition allowed us to emphasise the verticality of the void and enhance light and views to the landscape and natural elements.”
Retaining a distinct individuality between the levels also formed part of the brief. “Both levels have idiosyncratic details,” says David, “and for us, we saw that as being an integral part of the story of the building that we wanted to carry forward – not necessarily as a nod backwards, but one that is a nod to the past while also acknowledging a change in ownership.” The scheme drew from the original palette where green was the most prominent colour among the more neutral tones and the existing curved elements were so unique it was essential that they were retained. “Although these may seem like small and insignificant details to some,” says David, “we wanted to bring them back and weave them into the story of the joinery and furniture we were bringing in.”
The internal replanning of the now-four-bedroom home ensures there is little confusion as to the building being a cohesive whole. It is only through subtle differences that a curiosity is stirred as to why they differ. “We wanted to highlight the architecture, a response to the site and to the past while also being future focused,” says David. “We approach all our projects with an appreciation of longevity – there needs to be a durability to both the core foundations and shell of the spaces, as well as everything that is brought in, newly designed and integrated. We want to continue and enhance stories, not put a time limit on their relevance.” A muted palette inside and out neutralises the spaces and emboldens the building as its own entity. Together with thin steel and glass windows to the rear, the dwelling has a lightness that balances the weighted blockwork at the front and encourages flow into the dedicated private garden.
In reducing material waste and being intentional and considered, sustainability also underpinned the approach. Although the heritage guidelines already provided strict parameters, it was in the honed energy on highlighting instead of replacing that drove many design decisions. “Enabling cross-ventilation and enhancing natural light throughout were key to how the building functioned, to an overall reduction in energy and to how comfortable the spaces would feel throughout the day,” says Ilana, “and at a minimum, concentrating planning to orient function with time of use helped amplify these efforts.”
What started as an experiment by pioneering developers to solve the need for increased density, the legacy of Princes Hill Residence continues. Both Freadman White and Flack Studio pay homage to the past while also carrying that original innovative spirit forward. “The home has a great energy,” says David, “and everything feels like it belongs. We like to think that if it feels like a light touch and that we haven’t been there, and if someone says it feels good, it’s because of the tactility, the light and the blurred line between new and old – and that we have done our job.”
Architecture by Freadman White. Interior design by Flack Studio. Build by Inner North Carpentry. Landscape by Acre. Engineering by Meyer Consulting. Development by Milieu. Filmed and edited by Ryan Wehi.
