White Box

Location: North Melbourne

Status: Completed in 2004

Internal alteration/renovation to single residence.

An alteration to a single storey Victorian house with an elevated slope in the inner city of Melbourne sought to break up the traditionally long and continuous Victorian passage design by introducing a white box. This white box condenses wet areas to the centre of the house and provides for storage units along the passageway. The white box as an intervention accentuates the separation between the old and the new, however, it is also the core that connects the two. The separation is intensified by two openings on either side of the box further emphasizing it. The skylight positioned at the start of the box enables a range of temporal shadows to form across the walls. This adds to the design that hopes to mediate a pause to enjoy the view while exploring the spaces around the box.

Photo credit: Grey Sim