237 York Street, South Melbourne

237 York Street is one of South Melbourne’s oldest remaining residential buildings. It was built 1862-1863 for Glasgow born John Adam, as a two-room timber shop. For most of the 19th century, it was a shopfront, acting as a small grocery. It has been home to diverse occupants of Scottish, Italian, Greek origin for example, that show how multicultural Melbourne was from the post goldrush period onwards.

The renovation was informed by its history of the local working and artisan class. To ensure that the design sensitively references the past, we retained the entire original exterior façade and roof, heritage doors, windows and chimney, and used natural materials to reflect the history of the original occupants. We prioritised the use of recycled timber for the cladding, fencing and internal floorboards and recycled bricks from both on-site and local sources. We decided to keep the small footprint of 140 sqm both in respect of the origins of the house, but also to minimise the carbon footprint.

The design adapts to 21st century urban living and prioritises sustainability, by capturing natural light using a central courtyard and skylights, reinsulating the original house and extension above the statutory requirements, adding a hidden 2000 litre rainwater tank for toilets and garden use, and abolishing all gas connections. The open-plan lounge, library, and main bedroom all open-up to the main courtyard, providing an enhanced sense of space. The roof space has been transformed into both a children’s play-room accessed from the mezzanine in the second bedroom, as well as abundant hidden storage, that maximises the use of space.