LLDS Architects Redesign Victorian Terrace House in Melbourne with Sustainable Rooftop Garden

LLDS Architects has completed Casa Northcote, a compact residential project in Melbourne, Australia, in 2023. The design reinterprets the traditional Victorian terrace house typology to address urban constraints on a narrow east-west oriented lot measuring 22 meters long by 4.6 meters wide. A key design decision involved elevating the ground to create a rooftop garden, compensating for the lack of green space in the dense urban setting. This green roof contributes to local ecology within the city environment. Beneath the free-form timber structure, the interior features a lobby-like space combining kitchen, dining area, and an entry terrace, drawing inspiration from industrial lofts and Victorian church halls found in the neighborhood. A textured concrete interior wall provides thermal mass and improves acoustic performance in the dining area by reducing echo effects from parallel walls. The project was curated by Miwa Negoro, with photography by Tom Ross. Numerous suppliers contributed to the construction, including Duravit, Light Co., Thermogroup, and others. Casa Northcote represents an innovative approach to sustainable urban living, adapting historical housing forms to contemporary environmental and spatial challenges in Melbourne's architectural landscape.