Strathtulloh
Site
The homestead at Strathtulloh was built around 1869. It is of architectural and historical significance and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. The site is comprised of two buildings being the main homestead and an earlier building serving as a detached kitchen to the homestead. The surrounding land is pastoral and the site is located in a Green Wedge Zone.
Challenge
The homestead and the associated buildings were in a state of decline. The owners wanted to extend the home to accommodate their needs and to provide modern facilities.
The challenge was to expand the living space while maintaining a respectful curtilage around the original buildings. As an intact example of colonial style architecture, it was important the new build did not alter or obstruct the form of the original homestead and maintained the open rural views that surround the property.
The lot also contains a recognised archaeological site, in the form of the ruins of a building dated from 1840 or a short time before. It was important that any new building did not adversely impact upon any known or potential archaeological sites.
Solutions
The extension is a new and defined building sited several metres away from the existing house. Its placement relative to the existing homestead is similar to that of the existing kitchen building which is not housed under the main homestead roof.
A timber framed glass breeze way connects the homestead and the new building. This mostly transparent corridor retains the legibility of the early building whilst still permitting an enclosed weatherproof and secure walkway.
Where possible, the homestead was repaired using traditional restoration techniques. New works in the original building, such as the staircase, were inconspicuously labelled with the date of their construction to ensure that future interpretation of the site would not confuse the authenticity of the buildings original fabric with new elements.
The stone used in the new extension was sourced onsite. The style of construction of the exterior walls was in reference to the drystone walls found in the local Melton area.
Lessons
Unlike many suburban extensions where a new addition can be added to the rear of a heritage building and not be viewed from the street, it was important that the form of the Strathtulloh building was conserved in its entirety.
The addition of a separate wing conserved the shape of the homestead. The new building is a highly visible element in the rural landscape but it is not contradictory to the original building borrowing heavily from the form, scale and materials which are present in the homestead.
The project demonstrates that new life and improved liveability can be achieved in a heritage home even when the original building remains intact.