Part of a Victorian inner city Melbourne property, Pergola Extension by Krisna Cheung Architects is a project that aims to reimagine an existing, historic home and transform it into a dwelling fit for its purpose – a generous, domestic hub for a local family. Taking its cues from the existing house's translucent polycarbonate rear garage façade, the architecture team, headed by principal Ray Cheung, worked towards incorporating the polycarbonate sheeting into the roof and ceiling of the living and kitchen area, opening up the composition towards the rear garden, while forming a pergola – the element that lends the residence its name.
The material and contemporary shapes and nature of the pergola structure clearly highlight the extension as a contemporary addition. Inside, an open plan, created by relocating the existing kitchen and opening up the interior into a flowing living and dining space without corridors or partitions to break up its continuity, feels generous and at one with the planted spaces outside.
The changes implemented by Cheung were not merely aesthetic. ‘Victorian houses in inner-city Melbourne lack habitability and quality of the environment as they aren’t well considered in terms of heating, cooling, or daylighting,' says Cheung. ‘The design interventions drastically improve natural ventilation and daylighting, thus reducing overall energy consumption alongside providing a healthy environment.'
Sustainable strategies also include an acoustically and thermally well-insulated polycarbonate roof and ceiling, natural ventilation and the reuse of bricks and timber flooring from the old house (the rear façade bricks were used for the garden's landscaping, for instance).
Pergola Extension's creator, Krisna Cheung Architects, is no stranger to working with awkward urban sites and creative inner-city building solutions. Earlier work, such as Colour Shingle House in North Melbourne, treats an existing property with similar flair and creativity. The studio's work keeps a relatively low profile – and often is the result of a modest budget – while achieving maximum impact through spatial generosity and optimising functionality and personality in the final design.
INFORMATION
-
The 2024 Ivor Novello nominations for songwriting have been revealed77 British and Irish songwriters and composers make up this year's nominees, announced tonight at London's Groucho Club
-
Why Bollinger’s La Grande Année 2015 champagne is worth celebratingChampagne Bollinger unveils La Grande Année 2015 and La Grande Année Rosé 2015, two outstanding cuvées from an exceptional year in wine-making
-
Lexus installation explores time at Milan Design Week 2024Lexus brought designer Hideki Yoshimoto’s ‘Beyond the Horizon’ to Milan’s Art Point, part of its ongoing series of collaborations with Fuorisalone
-
Burnt Earth Beach House is an experimental retreat crafted in terracottaThe experimental Australian Burnt Earth Beach House by John Wardle breaks new ground in material composition, using baked earth for warmth, texture and tonality
-
Lavender Bay house opens towards the water, overlooking Sydney harbourLavender Bay house by Tobias Partners is an expansive family home overlooking Sydney harbour
-
Modernist architecture: inspiration from across the globeModernist architecture has had a tremendous influence on today’s built environment, making these midcentury marvels some of the most closely studied 20th-century buildings; check back soon for new additions to our list
-
Mori House is an Australian beach escape fusing international design influencesMornington Peninsula's Mori House by architect Manuel Aires Mateus is a striking fusion of Australian, Portuguese and Japanese design influences
-
Victorian cottage transformed by radical extension into a light-filled living spaceGlasshouse Projects has opened up the heart of this Victorian cottage in Adelaide, Australia, with a contemporary garden extension and pool
-
Sydney’s Wharf Apartment is a heritage maritime space that evokes a coastal holiday homeLawless & Meyerson’s Wharf Apartment is a careful, contemporary residential transformation in Sydney’s Finger Wharf that taps into the property's historic character
-
Eclat rethinks 21st-century workspace with a hospitality offering in MelbourneWith new Melbourne co-working space Eclat, Australian designers Forme defy the conventional shared office model through sensitive craftsmanship and hidden high-tech
-
This Melbourne aquatic recreation centre’s crafted timber ceiling hints at its sustainability ambitionsThe Northcote Aquatic Recreation Centre by Warren and Mahoney opens in Melbourne, blending sleek aesthetics with environmental responsibility
