Photography by Jack Carlin

William Ellis is a renovation and extension to a striking 1950s Modernist house in Burwood – now under construction.

What began as a Feasibility Study quickly became a deep dive into the layered story of this remarkable home. Our clients purchased the house in 2013, shortly after a poorly considered subdivision left it awkwardly stranded on a corner block, stripped of its original northern light and many other redeeming features. Not long after, Whitehorse Council applied a Heritage Overlay to preserve what remained of its powerful facade – a move that, while understandable, presented a new set of constraints.

Rather than fight these constraints, we saw them as design opportunities. Working closely with Council through our Feasibility Study, we developed a strategy that carefully massaged the planning guidelines to help reorient the home to recapture natural light and connection.

The design builds forward with a light touch, in keeping with the original DNA. A new secure gate will sit forward of the original facade, reshaping the backyard and opening the living areas to the north. A modest Ground Floor addition links to and opens up the existing Kitchen, creating a generous, light-filled space around a new social island bench.

Upstairs, the plan is extended and reconfigured to give each of the three boys their own bedroom, and the parents their long-awaited Ensuite. A quiet, hidden study is tucked below.

During demolition, we uncovered original mid-century slate, which will now become the new kitchen benchtop. It’s one of many found moments that will shape the next chapter.

The personality of the original house still leads the conversation and demolition here wasn’t just a process of removal – it was creative. We walked the site carefully, uncovering original details that could stand up in the final outcome. The existing facade and window openings will become part of the internal fabric.

William Ellis is a project that celebrates the existing fabric while still moving forward. What stays is just as important as what’s new.

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