Mt Victoria City Pad
When Wallace Architects first visited this 1890's cottage in Mt Victoria they were charmed by its character and tiny footprint (3.5m wide) although it was clearly in need of rejuvenation.
Located in Elizabeth Street Heritage Area, this 19th century workers cottage remains an authentic piece of architectural history that continues to contribute to the unique character of the street. It demonstrates the kind of house that the city’s working class lived in at the time, narrow and closely abutted but tall with a generous ceiling height. Records have it that this house was built in 1894 and the external envelope has remained largely unchanged since, albeit upgraded and maintained in keeping.
The client's original brief was to review the back portion of the lower floor to include a new kitchen, laundry, dining room and study within a small area. Our design approach was to place the kitchen and laundry units along one side of the space, allowing maximum utility while enabling the full width of the end wall to be opened up to a rear courtyard. New skylights lighten up the interior and give a greater sense of space.
After the completion of this first stage we were engaged to review other spaces in the house together with a new owner, who had a strong sense of design and wished to continue the style of the renovations throughout the house.
A large Tasmanian oak full height sliding door replaced a section of wall to allow the living room to connect with the rear of the house. A custom bench seat in the existing bay window and bedroom joinery have been designed to provide elegant storage solutions and maximise the feeling of space. New efficient wardrobe units were installed in the upstairs bedrooms and the bathroom upgraded. and new paint and floor finishes throughout.
The key success of this project was making the most of the height to provide a gallery style feeling of openness and light despite the small footprint.
This renovation first featured in a Dominion Post article in 2008 then later after the second renovation in Trends magazine article 2011.
© Wallace Architects Ltd
