Canning Street by Heartly
Canning Street, designed by Heartly, is the redesign of a unique 1870s inner-city cottage, honouring the past with a contemporary understanding of materials, space and light.
Words: Hande Renshaw I Photography: Dylan James
Photo: Dylan James
Photo: Dylan James
Developed on an inner city site of only 100 square meters of land, Canning Street involved the redesign of a unique 1870s inner-city cottage to create a serene 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom home, with the original building linked to a double storey extension by an internal bridge
Located in Melbourne’s inner north of Carlton, the quaint cottage typology is a familiar sight and forms the impressive retention of history in the area. While the original façade of the 1870s home remains and the original front rooms remain intact, an additional level is added above, yet doesn’t disrupt the existing face of the home amongst the streetscape.
Designed by Heartly and built by ACS Builders, Canning Street is both a celebration of the existing detailed plaster elements and an offering of the present. The result is a home where the old and new sit in harmony – historic details such as original brick and timber work have been preserved and showcased within the highly practical, yet calming contemporary space.
The cottage was sited on a bluestone pedestrian laneway, allowing light to filter through windows on the south side.
The main original room at the rear of the dwelling featured an unusual lowered ceiling and second storey, which was refreshed and rebuilt to comply with the BCA and extended to the rear, creating an open plan living space connected to the small courtyard.
Through opening both upward and to the rear, the original volume of the home is given a new life and is able to breathe. While inner Melbourne is known for its high-rise apartment buildings that impress a density within a small area, the inner residential areas such as Carlton become a place of retreat.
The combination of the area’s history together with a contemporary sensibility allows the elements from the home’s past to remain intact. The use of light materials and colours ensures the insertions feel deliberate and of a similar handcrafted nature as the original home.
“An internal bridge now links old to new. From this vantage there are views of the historic neighbouring buildings across the pedestrian laneway, the sky and the living space below.”
Photo: Dylan James
