Kevin Borland was one in every of Melbourne’s most influential post-war architects, serving to form a distinctly Australian pressure of Modernism.
Identified for his rugged ‘bush carpentry’ aesthetic, Borland embraced pure supplies, uncovered buildings, and unconventional geometries, leaving an enduring mark on our architectural panorama.
Amongst Borland’s important residential initiatives is the Crossman Home, a outstanding Seventies residence in Glen Iris.
So when the brand new custodians approached WOWOWA Structure to remodel the house, studio director Monique Woodward knew they’d be shaping a bit of the architect’s legacy.
The enduring constructing possessed ‘extraordinary structural bones and heritage magnificence’, full with a double-height, fern-filled inside backyard atrium nestled between curved brick partitions, and a novel flooring plan, set on a 45-degree angle.
However after nearly 50 years, the house wanted some key upgrades, significantly to enhance its sustainability and vitality efficiency.
‘The home was freezing in winter and scorching in summer season,’ Monique says. A spiral staircase blocked mild and backyard views, whereas a rotting rear balustrade, dwelling areas, and outsized pool additionally wanted consideration.
After 12 months of planning, the crew had a ‘heart-attack second’ when a heritage overlay was newly added to the property proper earlier than building commenced — a choice that got here following requires the home to be protected when it was listed on the market in 2020.
Fortunately, the council embraced the proposed modifications, together with changing the atrium’s home windows with an upgraded double-glazed system.
The brand new frames had been fastidiously designed to take care of their present proportions, whereas the supporting T-bar buildings had been stored brilliant yellow as a key a part of Borland’s unique aptitude.
‘We positioned ourselves as spatial biographers, designing with the “angel of Borland” on our shoulder,’ Monique says of their method. The modernist joinery inside the lounge, timber laminated doorways, and timber lining had been all painstakingly restored and refurbished wherever attainable.
The primary updates included remodeling the kitchen, laundry, and pantry space to create a extra modern central hub, that includes daring yellow joinery. Upstairs, an inside storage space was cleverly reworked right into a mezzanine examine, whereas the outsized swimming pool outdoors was eliminated.
This freed up much-needed area for a brand new backyard, and in step with the venture’s adaptive reuse ethos, the salvaged tiles from the unique pool got a second life on the benchtop within the laundry.
In true WOWOWA vogue, color was central to the refresh. Splashes of playful Yves Klein Blue and purple had been prolonged into the brand new areas.
‘The upstairs lavatory was tiled in essentially the most scrumptious rectangular tiles with black and brown stripes. We tried to save lots of them, however they broke whereas fastidiously eradicating them, so we discovered a mixture of latest tiles that just about completely replicated the outdated,’ Monique says.
Moderately than competing with Borland’s imaginative and prescient, the redesign provides a dialogue between two generations of Australian architects, united by a love of sudden color.
‘Folks usually are uncertain the place Borland stopped, and we began,’ Monique muses.
‘Largely we’re proud that Kevin Borland’s kin who’ve witnessed the venture’s reimagining have complemented our work. We felt the stress of their approval as we labored, in addition to the numerous structure critics who would assess the success of the house.
‘Having now gained the Australian Institute of Architects Heritage Award and the Nationwide Homes Awards Heritage Award, we really feel pleased with our contribution to this essential piece of historical past.’
