Hood House is not like other projects. It is a playful protector that respects the heritage character of Carlton North while celebrating purposeful change. It is a luxurious yet compact and hyper-functional home defined by an exploration of contrast.

It is also a demonstration that a crafted design can be repurposed to suit another set. From a young family to retired empty nesters, Hood House was at the tender stage before the first set of clients were lured to a larger piece of land.

However, the fundamental qualities of the original design strategy are preserved in the executed building (tweaked to the tastes of new clients), demonstrating that both the narrow, inner Melbourne terrace type and the architectural design process itself are imbued with an inherent strength of adaptability. The raw DNA of bedrooms, living areas and services were reworked in a subtly modified skin and have been delivered.

Photography by Tatjana Plitt

Dissections
Furniture: Great Dane. Lighting: Inlite, Artefact Industries, ECC Lighting, Living Edge, Archilux, Euroluce, Darkon. Finishes: Eco Bricks, Colorbond, Dulux, Signorino Tiles, Stonelux, Saxon Windows & Joinery. Fittings & Fixtures: Fisher & Paykel, Miele, Abey, Astra Walker, Reece and Beefeater.