A stunning architectural renovation in Carlton, Australia, has transformed a tired single-story cottage into a modern family haven that seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor living. The reimagined home features four massive pivot doors that open the rear addition wide to a lush courtyard, creating an adaptable space that changes with the seasons.
Designed by Lovell Burton Architecture for a young family, the Carlton Cottage project addressed practical challenges including water management, light quality, and thermal performance while respecting the home's historical context. The 1,938-square-foot renovation emphasizes spatial quality over material excess, incorporating principles of adaptability and regeneration throughout the design.
The property is located at a low point in Carlton that historically served as a natural watercourse feeding into the Yarra River. The neighborhood reflects the area's working-class European heritage, characterized by migrant communities and an eclectic mix of attached single dwellings. The site benefits from Canning Street's revegetation as part of the Melbourne City Council's urban forest strategy and features a rear laneway defined by an old hat factory. A mature river gum tree on the adjacent property creates a protective canopy over the site.
The architects organized the site into twelve conceptual squares, with the existing cottage occupying one quadrant containing children's bedrooms, a flexible study area, and wet areas. The new addition spans four squares and includes kitchen and living zones on the ground floor, plus a flexible bedroom and bathroom on the mezzanine level above. A central courtyard separates these two areas, functioning as the "lungs" of the dwelling to assist with passive cooling during summer months.
The rear garden comprises a third quadrant featuring heavily landscaped screening areas, a terrace, play space, and outdoor dining zone. The series of pivot doors along the rear facade allows homeowners to manipulate the building envelope between complete enclosure and total openness, supporting the overarching concept of loose spatial demarcation that adapts to family needs and seasonal changes.
Architecturally, the floor plane steps down across the site to subtly define different zones, while a large skillion roof works in harmony with the existing gable to enclose the new addition. This angled roof helps modify light quality throughout the space, redirects rainwater for harvesting, and integrates the new structure with surrounding buildings. Inside, the skillion ceiling draws the eye upward to frame views of the sky while bringing soft natural light into spaces below. A circular skylight specifically frames the upper canopy of the neighboring river gum tree.
Sustainability and upcycling played crucial roles in material selection. The team removed the existing cottage slab and replaced it with a lightweight framed floor system to improve subfloor ventilation and moisture management. The new timber flooring incorporates repurposed locally sourced hardwood framing, while existing bricks from the demolished lean-to structure were reused for new walls. Even the kitchen benchtops feature a discarded stone slab sourced from the Pilbara region.
The kitchen itself functions as a piece of custom furniture, constructed from solid walnut designed to develop a natural patina over time. This attention to aging and character reflects the project's broader philosophy of creating spaces that evolve and improve with use. The design team worked with builder Cale Peters Constructions, structural engineer R.I. Brown, and landscape designers Jala Studio to realize the vision.
In contrast to the bustling energy and urban grit of the surrounding streetscape, Carlton Cottage creates what the architects describe as a "repairing space." This sanctuary is designed to adapt to the unknowns of child-rearing while facilitating fluid and evolving relationships between family members, the broader community, and the natural environment. The project demonstrates how thoughtful renovation can honor historical context while meeting contemporary family needs through flexible, sustainable design solutions.
