H E R I TA G E H O W - T O : I T ’ S A L L A B O U T C O N T E X T ( C O N T I N U E D )
C A S E S T U D Y: O S B O R N E
One of our projects was a small weatherboard cottage in a predominantly Victorian area. It had a heritage overlay and a history of disparaging renovations. The client asked for a large house to suit a modern family, and to restore the four front rooms back to their original condition. We created a break between the existing and modern extension by incorporating a courtyard garden. The garden became a feature of the home, with a passage leading to the swimming pool. The extension to the rear is large, modern and open plan, creating a dynamic contrast to the existing home. To hide the mass of the extension, we concealed it behind the existing residence. We looked at the site lines and the form of the extension to minimise the visual impact from the street, but create a visual appeal from the backyard at the same time. While the extension wasn’t timber, we used a timber batten feature that connected with the existing weatherboard residence. Having a contrasting extension enabled us to maximise and enhance the sense of space by opening up the house and connecting it with the backyard. Large sliding doors open up to the veranda, and the swimming pool is designed to feel as though it’s part of the living room. There is no question that designing in a heritage area comes with its challenges, but it also provides an opportunity to help a traditional home evolve to its full contemporary potential. Good design calls for a lot of imagination, careful planning and consideration to create modern architecture that fits within heritage areas. When done well, a new design element will not copy but instead complement key heritage elements of an original home.
“ There is no question that designing in a heritage area comes with its challenges, but it also provides an opportunity to help a traditional home evolve to its full contemporary potential. ” L I N D S AY D O U G L A S
A W O R D O N H E R I TA G E O V E R L AY S –
A Heritage Overlay (or HO) is one of a number of planning scheme overlays contained in the Victorian Planning Provisions, for use in planning schemes in Victoria. It controls both the ‘demolition’ and ‘new development/work’ on affected land.
– It cannot be assumed that an older area has a HO on a property; this needs to be confirmed with the local authorities. –
Areas with heritage significance are protected with a heritage overlay, which is in place to preserve and maintain the characteristics of the area and encourage good design solutions that respond to the proposed site and surrounding properties.
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Most heritage places have a municipal heritage study that identifies the significant characteristics of the area, which is important to establish when looking at opportunities for any extension.
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In addition to the Heritage Overlay, some properties may be registered with Heritage Victoria (HV). In such circumstances, a separate application to HV will be required.
N E W S . B D AV. O R G . AU
F rom the P resident
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