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Blair Smith Architecture has brought a traditional lean-to in Melbourne’s inner-city firmly into the contemporary, providing a fresh new perspective on an old typology.

Smith describes the core idea behind the project as an opportunity to “replace and reorganise the program that the original lean-to structure contained”, ultimately creating a modest extension that proves bigger isn’t always better.

The extension has been limited to a footprint of only fifty-one square metres, leaving room for a humble sized addition. “The new building takes formal and programmatic cues from the dilapidated lean-to structure it replaces,” explains Smith. “Atypical to most inner-city extensions, the original lounge room within the cottage is retained as the main living area, meaning that the footprint of the contemporary addition could be minimised.” 

Conventionally wet areas are placed close to the bedrooms; however, this change would have resulted in costly modifications that added unnecessary financial strain to the project. Instead, the bathroom now engages with the garden, creating a beautiful light-filled space.

The rear of the building is cloaked in a dark hue achieved with deeply stained timber. Three large sliding timber screens glide across a single track and are completely operable. Users are able to switch between closed or open configurations, allowing for a completely seamless connection with the garden or an insular interior experience.

Smith explains the many benefits of the screens, outlining – “they control heat gain, glare and offer an increased level of privacy to surrounding development. Each screen has an integrated fly-screen and can be locked, allowing the occupants to leave the house on hot days while it is secure and passively cooled. In turn, each screen has a dedicated portion of solid wall for it to be parked on so that views and light can be completely unobstructed if required”.

Blair Smith describes Brunswick Lean-to as an “ongoing investigation into a sensitive approach to small footprint residential regeneration”. The young architect demonstrates that modest architectural intervention can be just as powerful as a grand gesture in giving new life to a heritage-listed cottage.

[Images courtesy of Blair Smith Architecture. Photography by Tom Ross.]