Splinter Society dismantled, catalogued, and rebuilt the historic Melbourne residence with an industrial rear addition, two courtyards, and a hearth turned out of doors firepit.
When Cam Bailey purchased a crumbling cottage in Melbourne’s Collingwood neighborhood, there did not appear to be a lot to save lots of. The property, nevertheless, fell underneath a heritage overlay—a planning management that acknowledges historic significance. So, when Cam employed native architectural follow Splinter Society to plan a renovation and extension, they needed to fastidiously dismantle all the cottage, catalogue its elements, retailer them off-site, and rebuild it as soon as the addition was accomplished.
“Truthfully, I didn’t go into the undertaking with a robust need to protect particular unique options, primarily as a result of the cottage was in fairly an excessive state of disrepair,” recollects Cam. “It was truly a little bit of a shock when it grew to become clear that the prevailing construction wanted to be retained. It required an actual shift in how I used to be enthusiastic about the undertaking, and I needed to rethink what was doable.”
Along with restoring the unique cottage, Splinter Society prolonged the house with an industrial-inspired rear addition and created two courtyards that reach the residing house outdoors and invite pure mild into the interiors.
Earlier than: Exterior
Within the late nineteenth century, Collingwood was a big manufacturing precinct with hundreds of modest two- and three-room cottages constructed to deal with employees. In the course of the Nineteen Sixties and Seventies, many of the cottages have been demolished and changed by residence buildings, and as we speak the remaining cottages are deemed traditionally vital.

Earlier than: “It wasn’t a lot the cottage itself that originally drew me in, however the location,” says house owner Cam Bailey. “I had already lived in Collingwood for a while and actually cherished the world’s power and character. I used to be notably drawn to its industrial heritage and ensuing aesthetic.”
Picture courtesy of Splinter Society
The home Cam bought was one of many unique cottages, and it was in a severely dilapidated state. “The identical outdated fellow had lived in it eternally and had by no means accomplished something to it,” recollects Splinter Society director Chris Stanley. “The flooring had collapsed, the home windows have been smashed, and it nonetheless had the unique cooker and bathtub.”

Earlier than: The dismantling course of required the creation of heritage working drawings of the cottage, adopted by the numbering and removing of particular person parts. “That included all the ornamental timberwork, the home windows, and every brick—each single ingredient of the constructing,” says Splinter Society director Chris Stanley. The cottage then needed to be utterly reconstructed.
Picture courtesy of Splinter Society
After: Exterior
Cam, who works in finance, travels often for work, and he purchased the house to function a base when residing in Melbourne. He was interested in Collingwood’s industrial vibes, and he chosen Splinter Society for his or her observe document of remodeling outdated industrial websites. “He wished layers of commercial, inner-city material introduced along with a cottage,” says Stanley. “It grew to become a query of: how do you reconcile these two issues?”

The outdated and new volumes are clearly distinct in type, however the vertical rhythm of the brand new cladding echoes the timberwork on the unique gable roof, and the impartial coloration palette.
Picture by Jack Lovel
See the total story on Dwell.com: Earlier than & After: To Save a Ruined Cottage, They Needed to Take It Aside and Put It Again Collectively Once moreAssociated tales:They Used Household Farm Gear to Construct a Prefab Residence in SpainThe Cork Facade Isn’t the Solely Quirk of This Residence Extension in GermanyThis Greek Architect Is Preserving Historic Homes by Any Means Essential










