An adaptive family home in Melbourne’s Fitzroy

Set in Fitzroy – Melbourne’s earliest colonial suburb and the traditional land of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people – the home stands among some of Victoria’s most enduring architecture, much of it lovingly preserved or revived. Before embarking on the transformation of this heritage-listed terrace, Matt Gibson Architecture & Design were already deeply familiar with the area’s history and architectural soul. Their mission was clear: to craft an addition that felt sincere and sensitive, honouring the home’s origins while embodying the personality and rhythm of the family who would inhabit it.

Along the way, the story of the home was beautifully captured by photographer Derek Swalwell, whose eye for atmosphere aligns effortlessly with the project’s quiet poetry. Bordered by Collingwood, Carlton, and the CBD, Fitzroy has long been woven into the cultural fabric of Melbourne. Since its formation in the mid-1800s, the suburb’s streets have echoed with memories of a very different city — when the first tram tracks traced their way down Brunswick and Smith Streets. Many homes from that era remain treasured for their architectural importance and protected for future generations. Among them is the Fitzroy Bridge House.

Adding to the home’s sense of discovery, a glass-floored bridge carries residents between the two main buildings. Through the timber trusses beneath their feet, glimpses of the landscaped courtyard appear — a serene space shaped with the help of Robyn Barlow Design, whose landscape approach complements the home’s architectural rhythm with understated grace and a hint of Zen. To one side, a corridor framed by sliding glass doors and warm timber beams reinforces the home’s devotion to outdoor connection and easy living.

Rather than extending directly from the existing structure, as is common in heritage refurbishments, the architects envisioned a sequence of semi-independent pavilions separated by tranquil courtyards. This layered composition — three two-storey forms arranged along a slender block — champions natural light, fluid movement, and free-flowing air, creating a lively interplay between interior and exterior.

Within a designated heritage precinct, preserving the street-facing façade was essential. The architects restored it in a deep midnight blue, pairing it with a vivid green door — a small but striking signal that the home has stepped into a new chapter. At the rear, the “studio” pavilion meets a laneway; its white bricks were reclaimed from the original structure, allowing the old and new to merge in a seamless, natural evolution.