Elwood Architect
Area details –
Suburb
Elwood
Traditional Owners
Bunurong
The earliest projects Foomann undertook were in the City of Port Phillip, and Foomann Director Jamie lived in Elwood, so we’ve remained active in the area. Beyond the projects featured on this page, we’ve recently completed Elwood homes on Mitford Street and Heaton Avenue.
The projects are varied, but a running theme is that the clients have all loved their neighbourhood, and we’ve sought to embrace what makes Elwood distinct. There is inspirational architecture, particularly the art deco walk-ups like Poets Corner, but more than that, we think it’s the inner-city beach that is the defining characteristic. It has inspired an approach to architecture that embraces the outdoors and a connection to water.
Broadway
A new building behind a renovated Edwardian home, housing a gym, sauna and pool for a family who live an active life. The coastal timber cladding and a disciplined planning grid keep it both relaxed and rigorous.
Mosh House
A pavilion extension that opens fully to the garden, drawing on the glamour of the Case Study Houses. With the glass doors slid away, the room becomes an open shelter between inside and out.
Holroyd Court
A challenging conversion of an interwar duplex on a steep, sloping site in neighbouring St Kilda East. Dividing walls came down to detangle the plan, and the old garage was buried behind a grassy hill to connect the living spaces to the garden and pool.
Do you have experience with City of Port Phillip planning?
Yes, across renovations, extensions and new homes throughout the area. We’ve worked within Port Phillip’s heritage and neighbourhood character overlays, and the suburb’s mix of period housing means most projects involve some layer of planning. We usually coordinate all planning matters ourselves, and know when to recommend a heritage or planning subconsultant on a sensitive or complex project. Elwood was where some of our earliest work was, so it’s a council and a context we’ve known for a long time.
Can you work on a heritage building or a project within a heritage overlay?
The Edwardian streets, the interwar duplexes and the art deco walk-ups are a large part of what makes Elwood a beautiful suburb. The constraints of a period frontage can create complex design challenges, with more to manage and coordinate through the planning process. Respect for the existing fabric and an embrace of the elements unique to the period is the right baseline, and we work with our clients to find balance in the design response, knowing when to be polite and when to be bold. We think some of our best work has come from the constraints of a heritage building.
What kind of Elwood projects do you take on?
Period homes needing a sensitive response, additions that let families stay long term, and new homes where the site allows. We welcome a diverse range of projects across different budgets and scales. We’re drawn to clients who care about design and are excited by what their site or home could become.
If our work resonates, we’d be glad to hear from you.
Please call or send some details about your project, and we’ll be in touch.
Contact:
(03) 9010 5590
info@foomann.com.au