Moloney Architects, 210 Mill Street

New Work/Development within a Heritage Area – Finalist

Owner: Dr P Moloney

Architect/Designer: Moloney Architects

Builder/Tradesperson: Hayden Bromley

The brief for this residential project called for a contemporary family living area to be grafted to the rear of an existing Victorian brick home. The building is situated in the Central Ballarat Heritage Precinct (HO166), an area of significant residential and institutional heritage buildings.

Glen Eira had been renovated by previous owners in the 1990’s with the intention of stylistically blending new building works with the original building design. In many ways the 1990’s design was incongruous with the original building aesthetic, for example the low proportions of the archway inserted into the south elevation. The experience of the building interior was the primary driving force in the design. Discussions with the client revealed that they considered one of the most attractive elements of the existing building to be the building’s high Victorian internal ceilings. The new works were designed from the first sketches to compliment this scale and not to be seen as an apologetic, low–ceiling “add-on”.

Victorian height ceilings in a modern building provided an exceptional opportunity to create a full-height glazed connection to the landscape.

The simple and refined internal spaces of the new rooms relate closely to the sense of space in the existing Victorian rooms.