Circle Studio Architects adds curved extension to Melbourne cottage

Curved roofs and corners bring "light, height and flow" into Cereus House, a house renovation and extension in Melbourne by local practice Circle Studio Architects.

Located in the suburb of Seddon, the existing Edwardian cottage dates back to 1915 and has been updated to meet modern standards and introduce working and entertaining spaces.

Looking to both complement and contrast the heritage-protected home, Circle Studio Architects added a two-storey timber and zinc-clad extension.

This replaces a previous addition and improves the home's connection to its rear garden, which features a large cereus cactus, after which the home is named.

"Cereus House brings light, height and flow to the existing dwelling through the addition of two curved forms that overlook the north-facing backyard," said studio directors Yvonne Meng and Amber Laing.

"We didn't want the extension to be a thoughtless 'box' tacked onto the back, which is quite common here, so we played with the curved shell form on the upper floor to distinguish old from new," they added.

The interior of the existing home was fully stripped back, reinsulated and double-glazed, while a concrete floor has been added to connect it to the extension.

It contains a series of "quiet" spaces, including a bedroom, lounge and study, which are separated from the extension's more social spaces by a laundry room and kitchen area.

Changes in ceiling height help to demarcate different zones in the home, such as between the living and dining spaces, and are emphasised by curved walls and ceilings.

Deliberately simple white walls and ceilings with exposed beams are used to highlight these curving forms, complemented by timber window frames and floors.

"Changes in ceiling heights define the separate zones, while the curves create a flow between the different areas," explained Meng and Laing.

"We wanted to create an open feeling without being completely open plan. The living area is connected to the kitchen-diner, but separated in its own zone," they added.

The smaller first floor contains a studio and balcony, which are connected to an attic above the existing home via a walkway. This walkway is hidden from the street to preserve the cottage's frontage.

While the upper floor of the extension is clad in white standing seam metal to reference the white weatherboard of the existing home, the ground floor is clad in planks of spotted gum timber as a nod to the surrounding vegetation.

Elsewhere in Melbourne, local studio Winwood McKenzie recently tucked a single-storey "urban oasis" behind the heritage facade of a former worker's cottage in Northcote.

Other residential projects in the city include a "simple yet impactful" red-roofed extension by Healy Ryan Architects and the expansion of a 1950s residence by Karen Abernethy Interiors and Architecture.

The photography is by Jade Cantwell.

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