How a heritage glasshouse was transformed into an art-filled kitchen, living room
Transforming a Victorian-era glasshouse into a stand-alone kitchen, dining and living area without breaking something, is no mean feat.
Concealed behind a high fence and originally on a small portion of a much larger heritage estate, the property in Melbourne's south-east would once have been reached via a pebbled path by horse and carriage.
'There's a few plots on this estate that show the hallmarks of the past, be they the stables in the backyard of one house or, in this instance, a greenhouse,' says architect Danielle Peck, co-director of Architecture Associates, who worked closely with her life and business partner, architect Sam Hunt.
Abandoned for several years, the glasshouse was carefully restored by heritage architect David Wixted well before this more recent incarnation. Baracco + Wright Architects had also left its indelible mark, creating a detached glazed two-level bedroom wing on the site that frames the pavilion.
'The pavilion dates to the 1890s,' says Peck, referring to photos that show the greenhouse pavilion full of concrete troughs filled with plants.
Unlike most traditional architectural briefs that require direct connections to areas such as bedrooms, here the brief was to allow the structure to be self-contained – a kitchen, dining and living area required to greet the elements.
Apart from replacing the roof with a special translucent high-performance glass there are perforated ceiling panels in one section, with only the slightest interventions having been made elsewhere – a couple of fine steel cords that span two trusses that allow for a screen to show films (one of the owners is a writer for film and television).
Architecture Associates also retained the original Villeroy & Boch tiles, at least the 'carpet' of tiles that remained, and buffed up the timber floors.
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