Brighton House is a minimal residence located in Melbourne, Australia, designed by Adam Kane Architects. Extending the generosity of proportion and sense of grandeur of the original home, Brighton House sees the expansion of an existing Edwardian residence into its open and light filled contemporary. In navigating the equally liberal site, the proposal seeks to enhance connections with the surrounding landscape as a key living function of the home. Located amongst neighbors of fitting scale and stature, a modern and refined series of gestures ensure an imbedded longevity and relevance underpin the home.
Balancing the old with the new, the proposal utilizes a series of linear approaches to reinforce a sense of clarity and calm throughout. With wide and full – scale glazing ensuring uninterrupted views, the connection to vistas beyond are optimized, while still retaining a respectful sense of privacy. Deliberately wide corridors then ensure an ease of movement and flow, further fueling a sense of opulence and luxury. Excavating below ground level sees a robust and open eight – car garage tucked away from view, creating discreet access from underneath the home.
Ascending upward, a series of compressed and released moments navigate through and past a custom-built cellar, gym and golf simulation room. While the original street entry is retained, a celebration of the original heritage details showcases a crafted and artisanal expectation that then morphs and evolves into a more contemporary expression in the new addition. Establishing and reinforcing views through the home forms the foundations of Brighton House – views both between rooms and internal zones, and out toward the water and city scape on the upper level. A light and clean palette connects both eras of the home, with a muted American oak timber flooring underfoot as a warming and textural binding insertion. Bold and concealed joinery then hides amenity and shapes the internal volumes.
Polished plaster adorns both walls and ceilings, capturing and reflecting light as it moves through the spaces throughout the day, while a white aggregate concrete flooring flows effortlessly between inside and out, dissolving thresholds. As a central sculptural element, a helical stair connects the levels and sits at the transitional point between old and new, marked by a subtle line. An additional level sits tucked into the original attic space, anchoring the upper volume as the generous master wing form cantilevers out over the living space below. Brighton House draws light from curated angles and from above to illuminate and animate the interior, while restraint and refinement ensure attuned details are instilled throughout.
Photography by Timothy Kaye
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