Wurundjeri of the Kulin nation
Victoria
Lanes End, a renovated Victorian terrace in Carlton, balances heritage conservation with modern design. The extension, discreetly set behind the original façade, reveals a contemporary three-story, four-bedroom home with a basement workshop and triple-car-stacker. The property features separate residential and home-office entries, and the potential to convert the level-01 rumpus into a separate dwelling.
Maximising the residence’s northern orientation, the design creating a seamless indoor-outdoor connection. Timber-battened finger-joint eaves, concrete walls, and a column-free interior extend into the garden via a wall of sliding doors. Upper-level window planters provide both solar and privacy screening.
Sustainability is reinforced in this fully electric home featuring 13kWsolar-power, 8,000Lwater storage, and a heat pump for hydronic heating and hot water. The basement’s thermal mass enhances passive cooling, drawing air through a central staircase. Reclaimed materials from the original build reduce waste, while biophilic elements including integrated greenery, acoustic ceilings, and curated lighting promote well-being.
Our home effortlessly adapts to the rhythm of family-life. The flexible design allows spaces to flow between work, play, and retreat. Whether it’s hosting clients in my studio, enjoying a family dinner beneath the acoustic ceiling that softens our vibrant conversations, the kids and our cat perched on the staircase, or my husband restoring classic cars in the basement, the house accommodates our diverse needs. My sanctuary is the upper-level garden, where I tend to plants in my slippers, bathed in dappled light, as bees and birds visit the foliage. It’s these moments that truly make this house our home.
Annelise Porter, Design Architect
Kim Tiller, Construction Project Manager
Kim Tiller, Construction Manager
Urban Edge, Town Planner
KLA, Structural Engineer
Akritidis, Building Surveyor
Startari Architecture, Technical Documentation