The Chaucer Residence by Pohio Adams Architects presents two distinctive sides—from the street, this house, located in the Melbourne bayside suburb of St Kilda, appears as a traditional period home—not dissimilar to others along the street. However, from the back garden, it has all the markings of a strong contemporary dwelling.
For the clients, a couple with two children, the renovation was an opportunity to not only modernise and extend the house, but also prevent overlooking from an abutting three-storey block of apartments. “Privacy was a concern and formed an important part of the brief together with the need to accommodate quite an extensive program, including two living areas, a guest bedroom, a separate study and parking for two cars,” director Bianca Pohio says, who worked closely with her life and business partner, architect Chris Adams. As Bianca has known one of the owners for 30 years, there was a great sense of trust from the outset.
While the Edwardian home’s original four front rooms were retained, they were updated for contemporary living—with two rooms on one side of the central passage reworked to include the main bedroom, an ensuite and a separate bathroom accessed from the corridor. “We kept all the fireplaces and decorative ceilings but created openings where necessary,” Chris says, who removed the fairly rudimentary addition to create an entirely new wing.
The Venetian plaster ceilings reflect light from the pool, which beams through the double-height dining and living area.
Pictured: The Arflex Marenco sofa, Flos Arco floor lamp, and Agapecasa Eros Cloud coffee table.
Rather than opt for a red brick addition to complement the period home, a combination of Federation and Arts & Crafts overlays, Pohio Adams Architects came up with a two-storey wing wrapped in glass bricks—popular in the 1930s, later in the 1980s and often being used today. Rather than the typical use of glass bricks to subtly veil private areas like bathrooms, the design takes the concept to its extreme—wrapping the upper level on three sides in walls of glass bricks. Curved in places, these bricks obscure neighbouring apartments while softly diffusing the light. The light reflecting from the swimming pool on the northern side of the house further animates the walls and ceilings in the dining and living areas.
Privacy was enhanced through a courtyard-style plan, with setback gardens along the northern elevation minimising opportunities for overlooking—a design outcome realised in close collaboration with Ground Gardens. “We wanted to extend the sight lines to the boundaries and draw in as much light as possible,” Bianca says. She was also intent on capturing light from above—through circular skylights and glass blocks set into the kitchen floor, the latter filtering daylight into the two-car stacker below.
The architects enveloped the upper level in curved glass bricks on three sides, inviting soft natural light while obscuring neighbouring views. “We wanted to extend the sight lines to the boundaries and draw in as much light as possible,” Pohio says.
The Verpan Fun 10DM pendant in the primary bedroom.
Given the site’s relatively modest size—approximately 475 square metres—the decision from the outset was to create a basement level. This houses the car stacker, along with a moody bar and second living area designed for movie watching or entertaining guests around the bar, which is also clad in glass bricks.
On the first floor, the dining and lounge areas benefit from a double-height ceiling. Breaking from convention, the kitchen is positioned to one side of this living space, featuring a lowered ceiling and its own garden view. “We wanted to create a series of experiences, not just spaces,” Bianca says.
Also on the first floor are a guest bedroom, a sitting area, and a mezzanine-style study overlooking the dining and living areas. Fitted with a concertina oak screen, the study can be ‘closed down’ when focused work is needed.
For Pohio Adams Architects, based in Sydney, having a client who both understood and trusted their judgement allowed for an adventurous design. “It certainly helps any project when a client has that confidence in you and is prepared to explore ideas as much as materials,” Bianca adds.
The bar and second living area is richer and moodier in feel.
As Bianca Pohio notes, glass blocks—popular in the 1930s, revived in the 1980s, and relevant in design today—are most often used to veil private spaces such as bathrooms. Here, paired with warm stone and mirrored surfaces, the brown-hued glass diffuses a golden light.
From the street, Chaucer Residence presents as a traditional period home. From the back garden, however, the home reveals a strong contemporary wing wrapped in glass blocks.
