MELBOURNE’S

BUILDING STYLES
 WELCOME TO INNER MELBOURNE

MELBOURNE’S BUILDING STYLES

Melbourne’s diverse built environment is
a reflection of our relatively brief and fast
paced history. The city has grown from
the banks of the Yarra since 1835 when
John Batman and John Fawkner crossed
Bass Strait to explore the shores of Port
Phillip. The small village they founded STYLES
was surveyed and sold at public auction
shortly after. Hoddell’s grid that shaped the
character of Melbourne’s CBD was born. 3 EARLY & MID VICTORIAN
This analysis of Melbourne’s building styles
provides a short overview of how the style 4 LATE VICTORIAN
and construction methods have changed
over the years. Each building style brings
7 FEDERATION
with it distinct features that can present
both opportunities and challenges when
improving a property. 8 EDWARDIAN

Every property is different, however we 9 QUEEN ANNE

have identified some common traits. We
have highlighted a Victorian Terrace, a Brick
Veneer and a Warehouse example as case 10 BUNGALOW
studies into how improvements can help
convert them to today’s lifestyle. 11 INTER WAR - ART DECO

12 POST WAR - BRICK VENEER

15 WAREHOUSE

CASE STUDIES

5 EARLY TERRACE CASE STUDY

3 BRICK VENEER CASE STUDY

15 WAREHOUSE CASE STUDY

2
 EARLY & MID
VICTORIAN
THE HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

After Melbourne’s land sales in 1837, the

temporary public accommodation of
canvas tents and wooden shacks began to
give way to a more permanent Melbourne –
one built of masonry.

The private ownership of land reflected

a new-found confidence in the colony.
Buildings that were constructed in the
Early Victorian era were simple and
often rectangular forms built in rendered
masonry or roughcut bluestone. Small two-
roomed cottages with hipped roofs made of
slate and corrugated iron were constructed
for the poor. At the time, both materials
had to be imported from England.

Outside, these early Victorian houses were

epitomized by their simple picket fences
and basic planting. External colours tended
to be cream with Brunswick green or
deep red highlights for the simple window
frames.

Walls of the houses were generally masonry

and were hard plastered, whitewashed, and
wallpapered. Even the hessian interiors of
timber cottages were wallpapered.

The 1849 establishment of the Melbourne

Building Act quickly improved the standard
of construction in the growing city. Many
of the remaining timber cottages were
proclaimed a fire risk by the authorities and
subsequently pulled down.

The discovery of gold in 1851 brought

rapid progress to the state. Melbourne’s
population grew to 125 000 people by 1861
with the help of wealth from the goldfields.

This led to the creation of some of

Melbourne’s earliest suburbs: Fitzroy,
Collingwood, Richmond, and St Kilda. FITZROY - A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THE EARLY VICTORIAN STYLE
These were soon followed by newer
suburbs: North Melbourne (Hotham), South
Melbourne (Emerald Hill), Essendon, and
Hawthorn.

WHERE ARE THEY?

CARLTON NORTH
FITZROY
EAST MELBOURNE
SOUTHBANK

3
 LATE VICTORIAN

ORNATE, AND ALL LINED UP IN A ROW.

Terrace houses and attached cottages
started to become the dominant housing
types of the Late Victorian era. For the
first time in the new colony buildings were
becoming adorned. Cast Iron lacework
and fine detailing to the masonry parapets
are characteristic of the era. Italianate
styling with it’s rhythms and repetition of
decoration, began to rise in popularity. It
was ‘Marvellous Melbourne’ at its finest as
the population jumped to half a million by
1880.

The filigree and decoration of the exteriors

were reflected on the inside as well. With
interiors becoming more ornate and
decorated as the spoils of Melbourne’s
growth were spent on design and
decoration. The stock market crash and
depression of the 1890’s put a quick end
to this and severely impacted the city’s
building and construction industry.

Fantastic examples of these ornate

Victorian terraces can be found in South
Yarra and Parkville.
LATE VICTORIAN WITH LARGER THAN AVERAGE BONES
Many of the Late Victorian examples
are ready to move into, however older
renovations will need an update.

Often attached, with narrow widths and

deep blocks, sunlight access can be a WHERE ARE THEY?
challenge. Wet areas are often located at
the rear of the property, and absent on the
upper level.

A modification to bring a rear bathroom FITZROY NORTH

closer to the centre adds to the livability CARLTON NORTH
CARLTON
and would have a positive impact on resale
FITZROY
value. In a study carried out be Secret
EAST MELBOURNE
Agent Research in 2013, it was found that
RICHMOND
terrace houses with a central bathroom
SOUTH MELBOURNE
sold at a $39,700 premium on average in
ALBERT PARK
Inner Melbourne.
MIDDLE PARK

TYPICAL BLOCK SIZE AND POSITION

These properties are almost always
attached (or semi-detached) and 4 to 6
metre frontages are the norm. The larger
properties in East Melbourne and Carlton
can be around 7 or 8m.

4
CASE STUDY ONE:
EARLY TERRACE
EXISTING STRUCTURE
This renovation plan was created from an
existing terrace plan in Amess St, Carlton
North. It’s deep but narrow (5.3 metre
frontage) block presents challenges when
looking to renovate and open up the living
area towards the rear. As is typical to most
terraces the original house had an external
toilet but, over the years the built fabric
has slowly crept up to it. The bathroom and
laundry now have the aspect to the rear
yard - not the ideal living arrangement!

The site itself is East-West facing, with the

light court oriented to the North. This is
ideal to let natural light into the kitchen,
bathrooms and bedrooms.

To our eyes, it’s wise to retain as much

of the existing built fabric as possible.
Demolition and relocation of the existing
wet areas would enable the addition of
a full width living room at the rear. This
would then free the narrow centre of the
house for a large galley kitchen with a
bathroom beyond. With the exception of
the living area, all would be accommodated
within the existing built fabric. For those
that need more than two bathrooms, a
master bedroom suite could follow the
same footprint of the new build below. This
change would reduce the size of the ground
floor bathroom to fit the staircase near the
proposed kitchen.

EXISTING CONDITIONS

5
 8

7
LEGEND

1 BEDROOM

2 BEDROOM

3 BATHROOM
6
10 4 DINING / KITCHEN

5 LIGHT COURT

6 LIVING

7 PAVED COURTYARD

8 LANDSCAPING
4 9

UPSTAIRS (OPTIONAL)
5
9 ENSUITE

10 MASTER BEDROOM
3

PROPOSED RENOVATION

6
 FEDERATION

SIMPLE AND NO-NONSENCE

The new century ushered in Federation
of the states and a heroic outlook for
Australia. This rising confidence was once
again reflected in Melbourne with larger
houses being built on larger allotments.
The city was spreading past its inner-urban
heartland with bigger blocks being sold in
the next ring of suburbs: North Carlton,
Brunswick, and Ascot Vale.

The Federation properties are typically

freestanding and have larger ‘bones’
than the earlier Victorian properties. In
Brunswick and surrounding suburbs the
subdivision pattern is typically 36’x100’
or 11x30M. These 300m2 blocks provide
enough space for a larger family home with
backyard.

Some have rear access of often narrow

laneways - offstreet parking is quite hard to
find with a Federation home.

The freestanding houses are weatherboard

with a tin roof. The full width ‘bullnose’ style
front verandah is a hallmark of the style. THE SIMPLE CHARM OF A GOOD FEDERATION PROPERTY

The straightforward beauty of the federation

houses often make good candidates for
renovation and extension. They benefit from
a simple plan and easy to work with timber
construction. An addition toward the rear is WHERE ARE THEY?
often the best way to extend, so backyard
orientation is very important when looking
for a site. BRUNSWICK EAST
NORTHCOTE
Often the existing houses have a central FITZROY NORTH
corridor flanked by two rooms either side. In CARLTON NORTH
conjunction with a contemporary extension CLIFTON HILL
out the rear (to house the living, dining and ABBOTSFORD
wet areas) a federation can provide ample
family accommodation. RICHMOND

ALBERT PARK
MIDDLE PARK

TYPICAL BLOCK SIZE AND POSITION

These properties are typically detached
and 8 to 12 metre frontages are the norm.
Setback vary with Federation houses
depending on the area.

The best renovations take advantage of

the natural positioning of the block, as
shown by the black areas in the floorplans
opposite. A large northern aspect is
important.

7
 EDWARDIAN

STYLE WITH SUBSTANCE

The new century ushered in Federation
of the states and a heroic outlook for
Australia. This rising confidence was once
again reflected in Melbourne with larger
houses being built on larger allotments.
The city was spreading past its inner-urban
heartland with bigger blocks being sold in
the next ring of suburbs: North Carlton,
Brunswick, and Ascot Vale.

Double brick was the dominant

construction technique for Edwardian
housing. Red bricks were used with flush
struck joints finished in white mortar. The
massing of Edwardian houses is dominated
by the bold roof lines often quite ‘cut-up’
nature. Hipped roofs in Edwardian houses
were punctured by bold gable ends. The
gables were made a feature with timber
fretwork and stucco finish in between.
Dormer windows sometimes popped out of
the large roof planes. The roofing was often
finished in tiles, slate, or painted galvanized
sheet.

Internally, Edwardian houses generally

have high ceilings often near 3.6m (new
residential construction is typically 2.7m).
Timber panelling and built-in furniture were
characteristic of the grander Edwardian
residences. The typical plan for an
Edwardian house is four to six large rooms
each opening off a central corridor.

Larger L-shaped verandahs wrapping PARED BACK FENSTRATION OF A EDWARDIAN HOUSE, FITTING IN WITH THE VERANDAH’S TIMBER WORK
around the entry appeared in response
to the harsh Australian summer. Cast iron
fenestration fell out of favour for more
simple and substantial timber fretwork.

WHERE ARE THEY?

BRUNSWICK EAST
NORTHCOTE
CLIFTON HILL

HAWTHORN

ALBERT PARK
MIDDLE PARK

8
 QUEEN ANNE

RARE
The ‘Queen Anne’ style is a distinct
subset of the Edwardian era. Queen Anne
residences are typically larger buildings
and are often built on prominent corner
sites, with deep red brick being the building
material of choice. Grand elements offset
the bulk of the buildings; for example, large
chimneys emerging from the hipped roofs.
The tower elements also serve to break up
the form. The roofs were often slate clad,
but tended to change to terracotta tiles
later in the period.

Inside, generous ceiling heights and Baltic

pine floorboards define the character of the
spaces. The front rooms and entry often
have stained glass features at a high level.

Brick and iron palisade fences are typical

original features externally, and some
even retain the ordered original planting.
Great examples can be found in the well-
established, older suburbs.

TEXTURE, DETAIL, AND LOTS OF IT!

WHERE ARE THEY?

HAWTHORN

9
 BUNGALOW

CALIFORNIA DREAMING
The Californian Bungalow’s popularity in
Melbourne followed the rise of American
culture and style imported to the city.
The airiness of the Bungalows suited the
Australian climate just as well as they did
California’s.

Postwar scarcity is evidenced by the lack

of decoration of the bungalows compared
to earlier building styles. Bungalows are
constructed with timber and typically have
large front verandahs topped with a tiled
gable roof. Wide verandah piers in masonry
visually anchor the lighter structures.
One particular stylistic touch is the use of
timber battening to the gable ends with
roughcast render beyond, also seen in the
Edwardian style.

Californian bungalows are typically four

rooms, arranged two by two alongside
a central corridor. Bay windows were a
feature of many of the front rooms. The
rears of most bungalows have been subject
to renovations in the past, with varying
success.
NORTHCOTE BUNGALOW, SIMPLE AND WELL MANNERED
Good examples can be found in any
number of Melbourne’s suburbs due to
their popularity. Northcote in particular has
some great examples.

They are much like the Edwardian in their WHERE ARE THEY?
renovation potential. The same guidelines
of separating the old and the new apply,
BRUNSWICK
with a contemporary addition to the rear a
BRUNSWICK EAST
fantastic bet.
NORTHCOTE
FITZROY NORTH

ABBOTSFORD

HAWTHORN

TYPICAL BLOCK SIZE AND POSITION

The later subdivisions in Northcote and
the like were larger than the Victorian and
Edwardian examples near the train lines
and transport hubs. Typical block sizes
range form 400-700sqm.

Most of the bungalows are well setback

from both the sides and the front of the
block.

10
 INTERWAR
ART DECO
SHIPS AND SAILS
Interwar Architecture in Melbourne is
characterised by its eclectic mix of styles
and Art Deco is probably one of the most
recognisable. It’s bold, streamlined forms
were born out of the rapid industrialisation
happening globally - particularly in
England, France, and the USA.

The public Art Deco buildings in Australia

were perhaps less adorned than those
built overseas; some notable examples
include: the Former Russell Street Police
Headquarters (built in the 1940’s and
converted to apartments in 2005), the
Manchester Unity building in the CBD and
the Rivoli Theatres in Camberwell. The
style was prominent in apartment buildings
located in St Kilda and South Yarra (the Kia
Ora building on St Kilda Road is a beautiful
example).

As a detached residential style, Art Deco

houses are found in Ivanhoe, Eaglemont,
Balwyn, Hawthorn, and Sandringham.

The houses are predominantly built in

varying shades of cream brick, often with SMOOTH LINES OF THE DECO ERA
highlights or other compositional elements
in white render. The houses started to enjoy
steel windows with larger panes of glass
(in some examples the glass is curved or
faceted around a prominent corner). The
detailing often occurs in the deco ‘rule of WHERE ARE THEY?
three’, with elements running vertically to
reinforce the buildings scale. Many of the
Art Deco properties are double brick in
construction with a timber-framed roof.

The detached deco houses are topped with

fairly ordinary tilled hipped roofs. Inside
they are characterised by their polished
timber floorboards, detailed cornice work HAWTHORN
and a fairly simple plan with small kitchens PORT MELBOURNE
and bathrooms by today’s standards. Some SOUTH YARRA
ALBERT PARK
examples still retain the colourful and
MIDDLE PARK
detailed fixtures and fittings of the period.
PRAHRAN

11
 POST WAR
BRICK VENEER
STURDY AND SPACIOUS
The post war suburbanisation of
Melbourne was dominated by the newly
established project builders, such as AV
Jennings, who pioneered an assembly line
method of building. Teams of specialised
subcontractors would move from house to
house in the greenfield estates. Production
was much faster with this technique,
bringing the cost of housing down to
meet the pent up post-war demand. This
phenomenon was mirroring what was
happening on the West Coast of the USA
at the time. Project building was, and still
is, a large part of the Melbourne housing
market. The other dominant driving force
was the rise of the private car ownership:
with no need to rely on public transport
new suburbs rapidly filled the space left in
between the lines of the train network. By
the time 1960 rolled around the suburban
fabric was complete.

The brick veneers were simply built,

dominated by their large expanses of brick
and tiled roofs. Windows first in timber and
later steel began to dominate the facades. CREAM BRICK AND STEEL FRAMED WINDOWS ARE THE SIGNATURE OF BRICK VENEER STRUCTURES
The houses were simple in plan and light on
ornamentation; cornices and ceiling roses
reflected the austerity of the times. They
were often planned with the living area at
the front of the house and the kitchen and
bathroom in the centre.

The cream brick houses have a timber

load-bearing frame with the single skin or
‘veneer’ of bricks to keep the weather out.
The brick skin requires less maintenance
when compared to a weatherboard house of
the same vintage.

HOUSING ON THE FRONT THIRD OF THE BLOCK ALLOWS FOR OPPORTUNITY IN THE BACKYARD

WHERE ARE THEY?

BRUNSWICK
BRUNSWICK EAST

NORTH MELBOURNE

12
CASE STUDY TWO:
BRICK VENEER
SOLID BASE
Thornbury is one of the closest suburbs
to the CBD with a significant stock of post
war housing nestled amongst Californian
bungalows. They are reasonably humble
homes, most being around 90-120sqm in
size with 2-3 bedrooms and a single kitchen
and bathroom. Many have been the victim
of 70’s ‘sunroom’ extensions to the rear of
the properties.

The beauty of these residences is that,

apart from the odd appendage, they are
usually in their original condition. Some
retain late 40’s cornicing and ceiling roses.

The original property we have chosen for

this case study is a post war brick veneer
Existing, kitchen, bath and
in Thornbury. It is typical in it’s square floor
laundry to be demolished.
plan, and the deep floor plate makes it a As shown hatched.
challenge to bring the natural light into the
middle of the building.

Extent of new ‘wing’

With this build the best bet would be to
retain the existing front of the house with
any addition off to the rear of the property.
This ‘clean break’ makes it easier to build
the addition instead of tying into the
existing roofline to extend the form. As
happens with the typical design response
- opening up the rear of the house. The
addition of a separate wing allows for
better planning and access to natural light
from the north.

As proposed, a new wing could be built

running East-West to make use of the
northern aspect. Floor to ceiling windows
onto the north provide great aspect and
access to the rear yard. Further down the
addition, the laundry and master bedroom
ensuite can be consolidated. At the western
end of the addition, a large master-
bedroom suite provides a sanctuary from
the hustle and bustle of family life.

Two generous bedrooms can be

accommodated in the existing structure
along with a powder room and main
bathroom. A small study on the east takes
up the rest of the area.

ExistingCONDITIONS
EXISTING Conditions

13
 LEGEND
1
1 MASTER BEDROOM

2 ENSUITE

3 LAUNDRY

2 4 KITCHEN / DINING

5 LANDSCAPING

3
6 LIVING

7 BEDROOM

8 BATHROOM

9 POWDER ROOM
4
10 STUDY
5
11 BEDROOM

12 ENTRY

8
9

12

10

11

PROPOSED RENOVATION

14
WAREHOUSE

INDUSTRY AT HOME
Beginning in the late 80’s and early 90’s
many city fringe warehouse shells were
converted into standalone housing. The
fit outs were varied in character, the
new wave moving back into the city who
commissioned the projects were free
thinking!

Each warehouse conversion has a different

feel, and light access is sometimes a
problem if they haven’t been planned well.
The best will have a substantial light court
to brighten up the insides.

Many of the best warehouses have already

been converted, however there is always
the undiscovered gem.

The conversions were popular in Port

Melbourne, Southbank, North Melbourne,
Fitzroy, Collingwood and Richmond. Taking
advantage of Melbourne’s well located
industrial history.

UNIQUE ACCOMMODATION

WHERE ARE THEY?

NORTH MELBOURNE
FITZROY
COLLINGWOOD
RICHMOND
SOUTHBANK
MELBOURNE
PORT MELBOURNE

15
 CASE STUDY THREE:
WAREHOUSE
GROUND FLOOR PLAN (NTS) FIRST FLOOR PLAN (NTS) EXISTING STRUCTURE
Shown here is the concept design for
a large warehouse shell located in
Abbotsford. The 300sqm shell offers
1 a perfect base for a three bedroom
residence.

19 A large courtyard and rear yard at the

ground level let lots of light into the
North facing shell. In the rear courtyard a
2 separate studio provides something akin to
3 18 the suburban ‘timber shed’.
17 16
On the upper level is a master bedroom
with a walk in robe and ensuite, opening up
14 onto a northern facing balcony.

7
6 5 15
8

LEGEND

1 ENTRY

2 SECOND BEDROOM

9 3 STUDY / THIRD BEDROOM

4 STAIRS TO ABOVE
10
5 GARDEN / COURTYARD

6 LIBRARY

7 BATHROOM

11 8 POWDER ROOM

9 KITCHEN

UPSTAIRS 10 LIVING ROOM

14 STAIRS FROM BELOW 11 COURTYARD

12
15 ROOFTOP DECK 12 STUDIO
13
16 MASTER BEDROOM 13 CARPARKING

17 WALK IN ROBE

18 ENSUITE

19 BALCONY WITH FULL HEIGHT

DOORS TO BEDROOM

16
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