This Mid-Century Modern Home Has Been Brought Back to Life
In the coastal town of Frankston South sits a Mid-Century house, initially designed in 1962 by Jack Clarke. Clarke was a prominent Melbourne architect, co-founding Clarke Hopkins Clarke and being a part of the iconic Small Homes Service started by Robin Boyd.
The challenge for Antony Martin, architect and Director of MRTN Architects, was bringing the home up to today's standards while maintaining the character and charm of the Mid-Century style. Reece and Laura loved the style and intention of the mid-century home and wanted it to be preserved and retain its appeal.
"When Reece and Laura purchased the property, they were very clear on their intention to save, retain and improve the house. It was a house that was originally built in the sixties with single glazed windows and poor insulation levels and some other structural concerns that needed to be addressed." Antony explains.
The original kitchen was tired and no longer functional, so MRTN Architects designed a new considered kitchen that felt appropriate to Mid-Century Modern architecture. The central services core of the house also saw some significant changes, with a new bathroom, laundry and pantry reworked. 6m2 of extra floor area was added via a new ensuite.
"The area that we probably had the greatest amount of change within the existing plan was how we adapted the kitchen and dining space," explains Antony. "The kitchen was originally in the middle of this plan with two meals areas at either end, but it didn't really connect very well to the north."
When it came to materiality, the original home was of poor quality. MRTN Architects studied mid-century homes on the west coast of the United States of America as a reference for how a much richer material palette could be implemented.
New flooring was installed, introducing a warm terracotta tile in the main central zone, but also simply replacing the existing carpet, matching the colour and style.
"The discussions we had were about upgrading the palette and the materials of this house so that it aligned with the points of reference that we were looking at in the Julia Shulman photos." Antony explains.
Mid-century modern homes hold such a fondness with Melbourne and Australian architects and architecture lovers, with the approach to light, functionality and materiality being quite considered and thoughtful. However, due to a lack of heritage protection, many mid-century modern houses in Melbourne are at risk of demolition.
"While it is not heritage overlays on these properties that perhaps if we do what Reece and Laura have done," Antony suggests. "Which is to upgrade and to attend to this original structure and make it good for the next 60 years, then there's a much higher likelihood that they will actually be saved."
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Frankston Mid-Century Modern by MRTN Architects, landscape architecture by SBLA.
Videography and editing, photography and words by Anthony Richardson.
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