Merton, Albert Park

Project At A Glance

Location: Albert Park, Victoria

Architect: Archier

Interior Designer: Archier

Landscape Architect:

Photographer: Axiom Photography

Project Type: Heritage Architectural Extension and Renovation

Key Features: Victorian terrace reconfiguration, charred timber cladding, dark timber rear volume, exposed floor joists, pine lining, handmade timber windows, integrated joinery, minimal plasterboard

Completed: 2021

Project Description Merton restores and extends a Victorian terrace in Albert Park, balancing careful repair to the street-facing rooms with a new rear volume wrapped in dark timber. The retained façade continues the established terrace cadence, while the addition is set back and scaled to sit quietly within the laneway condition. Openings are measured and recessed, drawing daylight into the main living rooms and establishing a contained connection to the rear garden.

Inside, the work foregrounds exposed structure and direct material choices. Timber flooring and pine lining replace conventional plasterboard, allowing joists and framing to remain visible and giving rooms a consistent construction logic. Handmade timber windows and targeted glazing introduce light and air through the plan, while integrated joinery consolidates storage so circulation stays clear. The interior reads with restraint, relying on timber tone and shadow to articulate thresholds.

The rear living space becomes the project’s centre, where structure and ceiling lines are left uninterrupted. Built by TCON in collaboration with Archier for architecture and interiors, the scope required selective demolition of existing fabric, coordination of insulation and services within exposed ceilings, and precise alignment of charred timber cladding across the new envelope. The outcome is controlled and robust, with material continuity linking the original terrace to the new volume.