A Subtle Renewal – Stawell House by Architects EAT

Looking up from the street below, the thin black balustrade of the Stawell House appears through the trees, marking Architects EAT’s quiet addition to the 50-year-old house. The original home was designed by Daryl Jackson and Evan Walker in the early 1970s, and the new additions and subtle changes both celebrate the original design and update the house for contemporary domestic life.

In the Melbourne suburb of Kew, particularly the Studley Park area, lies a pocket of iconic Australian post-war domestic architecture. Designed by the likes of Robin Boyd, McGlashan Everist and Peter McIntyre, geometries and experimental forms are woven among the trees and undulating topography. Studley Park became the perfect playground for young architects to explore new ways of living, filled with optimism after the war and keen to make the most of the river and bushland environment. Many of these houses have been retained, resulting today in a haven of modernist design.

In the Melbourne suburb of Kew, particularly the Studley Park area, lies a pocket of iconic Australian post-war domestic architecture.

At the time when Stawell House was built, in the early 1970s, Studley Park would have already been brimming with modernist homes from the 50s and 60s. The house was an early work of Jackson and Walker, who at the same time were designing larger public buildings in a brutalist style, such as the Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre, Princes Hill High School and the ANU School of Music in Canberra. Though the construction of this house is much different, there are similar explorations of form between the brutalist buildings and the smaller homes they were designing.

Defining this project was a collaborative relationship between Architects EAT and the clients. When the clients bought the house, they knew they were going to renovate it and had a strong vision for what they wanted. Where the clients and architects aligned was on the respect for the existing house and the desire to retain its character. Taking on the role of project managers for the build, the clients “were intimate with every aspect of the build and engaged directly with different trades so the build is exactly how they wanted it to be,” says Architects EAT Director Albert Mo.

For the architects, the project’s approach was very much about context – how to respond to the site and the existing building, how to make the most of what was already there and how to heighten the experience of the site.

Perched on the top of a cliff face, the Stawell House has a commanding view, overlooking the Yarra River and Yarra Bend Park. Albert comments that the site “is especially magical in the early morning with fog over the Yarra.” For the architects, the project’s approach was very much about context – how to respond to the site and the existing building, how to make the most of what was already there and how to heighten the experience of the site. Albert explains, “we weren’t trying to impose anything onto this job. We are contextual architects. Because the house has such a strong character to it, the [existing] plan has driven the response.”

The architects’ sincere respect for the history of the house meant that they were cautious to not spoil what made it special. Albert remembers the first time he walked into the house, which had not been renovated since it was first built. “I was telling myself, ‘Don’t wreck this.’” He remembers thinking that “this should be protected; this should be restored.” As such, Architects EAT retained much of the existing building, and the interventions were manifested through precise moves.

Much of the project of Stawell House is about the fine line of resolving how much and how little to do.

First and foremost was addressing elements of the design that go unseen, such as thermal comfort. Albert recalls the clients saying that “the house was so, so cold in winter and spring that they were practically living in the elements, citing the carpet was often lifting and flapping whenever the doors to the balcony were opened; however, such was the hallmark of 70s architecture – ‘bringing nature indoors’ they said!” These changes to the insulation and openings of the house are at work beneath the surface and appropriately fit for contemporary life.

Another change that is not immediately noticeable is the restoration of the original timber boards that lined the joinery. The boards were carefully removed and respectfully restored by a carpenter and friend of the clients, Roger McQueen. Any timber that was left over was also used in the window pelmets. Albert comments that this act of restoring and re-using the timber was important to the project because, “even though you can buy like-for-like, it will never be the same.” This level of attention to detail and desire to retain connection to the original house and materials is central to Architects EAT’s approach here.

Zigzagging on the perimeter of the house, the black palisade balustrade and balcony creates a series of outdoor rooms in contrast to the original singular experience.

Echoing the unique stepped plan of the house, a new balcony has been added that responds to the north-west orientation and is the most significant addition to the home. Zigzagging on the perimeter of the house, the black palisade balustrade and balcony creates a series of outdoor rooms in contrast to the original singular experience. The balcony becomes an addition that changes how the inhabitants relate to interior and exterior. It heightens the experience of the view and allows people to gather in the various pockets, but it also emphasises the existing plan and how that is read from the exterior. Whilst the balcony is the most visible addition to the house, it also provides a fresh way of understanding the previous design.

Nestled among the rocks and underneath the new balcony slab, the final key change is the addition of the lower level. In contrast to the other changes that are reliant on the existing architecture, the guest suite is an entirely new space. It was designed to be secluded and almost invisible from the street below. Albert comments that “we couldn’t help but suggest an outdoor bath here, and the result is a beautiful outdoor room with privacy further filtered by the clients’ planting and landscaping.”

Compared to the modernist architects in the post-war period, who were experimenting on this unbuilt land, today the architecture of Studley Park faces other challenges – notably, that of both protecting the modernist history of the site whilst accommodating for contemporary living. Much of the project of Stawell House is about the fine line of resolving how much and how little to do. For Architects EAT, it was about having a strong understanding of what has been done before and meeting it with restraint. The success of this approach, coupled with the strong relationship between client and architect, is demonstrated in the final result – an architecture that feels like a contemporary home, yet one that still retains its past lives.