Placement Architects’ ‘soft’ renovation for a family with teens maximises the original footprint and bones of a Melbourne terrace through deft interventions that introduce light, flow and multi-functional spaces for both togetherness and retreat.

Hiding in plain sight on a quiet urban street in Melbourne is a humble project that has created a series of important answers to some critical questions.

A couple and their young daughter have a new home, built as a second-storey addition to their parent’s ground floor bungalow. This simple decision has created an intelligent, stacked solution without sacrificing the beautiful garden out back.

An owner-built North Fitzroy renovation by Therefore has transformed a dark, damp ‘mess’ into a quiet gem of light, simplicity and timber craftsmanship with a geometric order creating delightful spatial freedoms.