Located on a spacious block in Brunswick East, the Gardener’s House by Melbourne-based Splinter Society is designed to blend into the client’s ornamental garden, creating microclimates and framing views as one moves around the property. The front portion, an existing period structure, is painted a modern tonal red to rationalize its historical elements such as the masonry construction and Italianate features. This sustainable, cost-effective approach preserves the building’s narrative, blending old and new. The addition reveals a new modern living space integrating features from the original architecture. The house is surrounded by gardens, and the restrained modern addition, clad in raw cement, is gradually being engulfed by plants.

Photography by Sharyn Cairns.