Situated on a heritage-graded street in Hawthorn East, this project seamlessly blends the enduring charm of a double-fronted Victorian terrace with contemporary design to create a multi-generational family home.
The original front section of the house has been carefully preserved, repurposed as three bedrooms, a study, and two bathrooms. Beyond the historic facade, a modern extension reveals a spacious open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area - designed as the central hub for family gatherings. A glazed hallway wraps around the new swimming pool, guiding you to a rear structure that houses a self-contained residence for elderly parents, a double garage, and a staircase leading to a dedicated children’s retreat.
A key design challenge was to bring natural light into the south-facing rear living spaces. This was achieved by integrating two internal courtyards, a large kitchen skylight, and a butterfly roof form with north-facing highlight windows, ensuring a bright, inviting environment throughout the year.
The interior design features a palette of natural blackbutt flooring, dark timber-veneered joinery, and large-format porcelain benchtops, with timber battens and mirrors adding layers of texture and visual interest.
In line with a strong commitment to sustainability, the project incorporates passive design principles to reduce energy consumption and minimize its carbon footprint. Key sustainable features include highly insulated double-glazed windows, extensive thermal insulation in walls and roofs, and high-performance building wraps to limit air leakage. The result is a home that remains comfortable year-round with minimal energy requirements.
Client Testimonial:
“We first met with Anthony to discuss our initial ideas regarding what we needed and wanted to achieve in our “renovator’s delight” Victorian house. It was important to us to have home that would accommodate multiple generations including growing teens / young adults and the option for an older parent to live with us.
We knew straight away that Anthony was the architect for us. From our first meeting Anthony listened to us, and we immediately felt a sense of calm which is absolutely what is required throughout a significant design and build process. At that early stage, we knew Anthony understood us.
Throughout the process there was amazing collaboration with Anthony and Meyvin. Our ideas and suggestions were listened to and worked into the design and build process. No question or suggestion was too silly or dismissed. Anthony and Meyvin project managed the build for us, and it was clear to see they had a great, positive relationships with our builder and their trades.
We’ve been in our home for over a year now and we’ve experienced how Chan Architecture’s design and final product work so well in the rough and tumble of family life. Without a doubt there is nothing we would change.
Anthony, we trusted you and Meyvin to help us polish an uncut stone on a south facing block and to design a light, bright, welcoming family home that was modern and would stand the test of time and use by our family, extended family and friends. What we received was treasure trove of wonderful spaces for all of us – the light, feel and sense of place you’ve created is truly amazing.
We love coming home! We are so thankful to Anthony and his team for helping us to realise this amazing gift for our family.
We would highly recommend Anthony and Chan Architecture to help you find your own treasure.”
- Cathy Tan