Pulling Focus

A cramped Victorian terrace has traded its tired traditional layout for a contemporary and light-filled interior that feels spacious and fresh, without compromising the heritage character of the home

- LAURA BARRY

WHO LIVES HERE?

A young family of four, with school-aged children (and one dog), who engaged Wowowa Architecture to renovate their home. wowowa.com.au | @wowowaarch

ORIGINALLY A SINGLE-STOREY VICTORIAN terrace home in Melbourne – with a traditional floor plan extending over a long and narrow site – this property is now spacious and exciting, thanks to Melbourne studio, Wowowa Architecture.

“We retained the first two rooms and the hallway, to maintain the sense of formality typically associated with a traditional Victorian terrace,” says Nikita Bhopti, architect at Wowowa. “Beyond that, we gutted the interiors and added a second floor, as well as a living, kitchen and dining area that stretches across the width of the site,” she explains. “The site felt bigger and the sculptural, double-height volumes over the living area gave the project a dramatic sense of space and light, especially in contrast to the Victorian layout it initially had. We also added a link to connect the living area to the existing two storey garage at the rear of the property.”