North Melbourne Architect

North Melbourne is home ground. Foomann Director Jamie Sormann lives here, so this is familiar territory. Working with the tight inner-city sites is a constraint we enjoy, where a small footprint requires careful planning and can provide a canvas for fun solutions.
On Haines Street alone we’ve worked on three separate houses, including our director’s own home, which has evolved with the family over two renovations. The projects featured on this page have both recieved awards and have been widely published. We’ve completed several other homes in the area, with more currently in design and construction.

Canning Street

A new freestanding house behind a tiny worker’s cottage, at 110 square metres. A curved ceiling shapes the spaces beneath it, and a tall glass facade draws northern light into the courtyard. Awarded at the Architecture MasterPrize for both Residential and Small Architecture and shortlisted for the Australian Institute of Architects Victorian Awards.

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Haines Street

Our director’s own home, evolved over two renovations while respecting its 1970s origins. A third level was added for a bedroom, bathroom and rooftop deck, allowing the family to stay long term.
A carbon-neutral project, shortlisted for the Australian Institute of Architects Victorian Awards and recepient of a Sustainability Commendation from the Houses Awards.

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Haines Street Rooftop

A tight site is a design challenge that can result in great outcomes and spaces to inhabit. The bath is on the roof, as the only private space big enough to accommodate it.

Do you have experience with City of Melbourne planning?

We’ve worked through the City of Melbourne’s planning and heritage requirements on homes across North Melbourne. The City Of Melbourne policies towards increased density align with the intent of most of our projects in the area, so we’ve had success in managing approval for ambitious projects that extend beyond the standard res-code requirements.

Can you work within a heritage overlay?

All the projects we’ve worked on in North Melbourne have been in a heritage overlay, with some being contributory. The response to each has been different.
Respect for the existing fabric and an embrace of the elements unique to the building 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 North Melbourne projects do you take on?

Cottages ready for a rethink, modernist homes looking for an upgrade, new homes on tight sites, and additions that let families stay long term. 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