Located on Wurundjeri Country in Coburg, Melbourne, Oval House by Topology Studio is the sustainable upgrade of a well-loved, block-board Victorian home immersed in the local vernacular. Although the original house was not heritage-listed, the architects sought to respect the Coburg streetscape by retaining much of the building’s fabric and internal features. However, towards the rear lane, the architect departs from the old into the new, seeking inspiration from unusual places.
The clients’ brief began with the concept of ‘not a single space wasted.’ From the moment they walked through the front door, they wanted usability front and centre. Equally, they wished to retain the existing architecture with its red roof and archetypal form, maximise thermal efficiency, while addressing an unflattering 1980s addition and adding laundry facilities to suit a modern family.
Topology Studio set out to retain as much of the original, yet delicate, building fabric as possible — lath ceilings, decorative wall vents, original windows, light fittings, skirtings and plasterwork. Here, they placed two bedrooms with views out to the re-established garden, designed by Bush Projects, and the street beyond, immersed within the retained eucalyptus trees’ foliage. A device-free library connects to the new through an internal courtyard, which begins to frame the home’s new narrative.
The central hall defines the transition between old and new, with detailed joinery and a door for thermal and acoustic separation. Past the revitalised wet areas with a family bathroom and heated laundry — on which the new second-storey addition was placed to avoid structural — the intersecting geometries and recycled cream bricks of the addition are to be found.
It’s here that the heart of the home, the kitchen, becomes a hub for family life. It’s connected to the bedrooms through hallways and stairwells, the living room and courtyards.
Internally, the materials reflect the tones and texture of the native flora; the greens of the eucalyptus and newly planted banksias are mirrored in the painted cabinetry. Stainless worktops and the island bench’s natural stone enhance daily living, while the red handmade tiles offer a nostalgic link from the clients’ hometown and connect to the local red-brick vernacular.
The nearby former Pentridge Prison, beyond the Coburg Oval, serves as an unlikely inspiration in the stairwell; delicate timber rods evoke a playful aesthetic that juxtaposes with the iron bars at Pentridge’s original purpose. Within these, home also anchors itself to the family individuals, whose heights are scored in timber wall linings and horizontal datums.
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Off the rear lane, a utilitarian shed is designed as a flexible undercover space for play, exercise, tools and bike storage, spilling out to connect with the garden. The lane runs along the Coburg Oval’s bluestone wall; a connection to community comes through in the white verandah poles evoking the goal posts.
Oval House by Topology Studio combines architecture that has stood for over 100 years with a completely new eco-addition. The environmental and thermal upgrades provide the owners with a compact, electric home that is flexible for a growing family, all while connected to nearby histories, current family life and a sustainable future.
