This Melbourne Home’s Topsy-Turvy Addition Is Buried Beneath the Earth

"This renovation and extension focused on bringing two families together," says Mitsuori Architects cofounder Matthew Murfutt about his studio’s latest project. "Our client wanted this to be a place that represented a new start, and fostered a sense of identity and belonging."

The clients’ existing home, a modest freestanding Victorian-era terrace located in the Melbourne inner suburb of Northcote, sits amongst an eclectic mix of heritage homes. "Our clients’ key aim was to extend the house to accommodate a large family, but at the same time they wanted to minimize the impact of new building elements on the wonderful sense of openness in their back garden and the surrounding properties," says Murfutt.

With this in mind, Murfutt sought to avoid the visual bulk associated with adding a typical two-story extension at the rear of the existing building. "This approach led us to go down instead of up, resulting in the creation of interesting spaces that better responded to the needs and aspirations of the occupants," he says.

Suffice it to say, this decision generated numerous construction challenges. The clients, one of whom is a commercial builder, were not deterred, and they requested that Mitsuori explore all manner of construction methods to achieve their goals. 

"Because we wanted to exaggerate the experience of descending the stair, it was designed to cut through the existing foundations, revealing a section of the wall above and below the ground—and this presented definite buildability challenges," explains Murfutt. "These were ultimately overcome with structural engineering and construction methodology not typically used in small residential alterations."

The other fundamental challenge was to create thoughtful transitions between the heritage and contemporary areas of the house. "It was important to us that the new addition reflected the functional and spatial qualities valued by the family, but also celebrated the transition between old and new," explains Murfutt. "The result is a light-filled pavilion that bridges the existing heritage home and garden with more private subterranean bedrooms areas below."