Recipient of numerous awards, the Edsall Street house is located between a commercial and residential interface in the streetscape. Though a challenging boundary, servicing a regular entrance of trucks and delivery of goods, RITZ&GHOUGASSIAN were able to create a calm and tranquil environment in this unique home.
Originally a double-fronted Victorian timber home in need of renovation, it was thoughtfully restored and extended with a two-storey wing. Mindful of a growing family, the design entails two separate living areas, an open plan kitchen and dining area, coupled with a main bedroom and ensuite on the first level.
Instead of one continuous form, as is the more traditional approach to extending Victorian homes, the architects inserted glazed links that offer delightful vignettes of the garden to the internal space. Though one would expect the interior to be impacted by nearby traffic, both the timber-battened staircase and layered block work walls help to create intimacy and a sense of refuge from the street. A considered and different approach to a usual house extension has ultimately created an elegant space – one that defies the initial constraints.
Completed 2018
Photography by Tom Blachford
Office Statement
Architecturally
RITZ&GHOUGASSIAN established their architecture and interior design practice in 2015. Located in Melbourne, they focus primarily on the user experience and ones relationship to the built environment through an interiorised lens. Working across both public and private sectors a collaborative process ensures their work is considered and resolved.
Socially
Quintessentially each of their projects is developed within a social and physical contextual framework. They place an emphasis on locally sourced materials, craftsmanship and landscaping celebrating the characteristics of each site, creating engrained relationships between environment, material and trade.
Intellectually
Volume is loosely defined, held together in tension by the architectural shell, the original vessel. This vessel naturalises the externalities present in the immediate context creating harmony and a series of moments or pauses. Detailed studies of light, space and materiality create opportunities for design and the creation of spaces that are both profane and mundane, spaces of memory and imagination.
Coherent
Architecture, interior design and landscaping intersect through a cohesive design language. Materiality is reimagined both internally and externally for each project, creating a palette that is coherent throughout the whole design. This process underlines a reductionist philosophy aimed at expressing the architectural volume through a simplification of the elements.
Jean—Paul Ghougassian
Director
Jean-Paul pilots the interior design projects within the studio. His experience within the realm of design is unique and extensive having worked across a number of sectors. His oeuvre illustrates a high level of critical thinking and controlled spatial composition, and together with Gilad, he brings a holistic approach to the projects within the studio.
Gilad Ritz
Director
Gil leads the architectural discourse within the practice. His interest in architecture and the built environment stems from a focus in field studies and phenomenology. After initially studying economics at Monash University, he later undertook a Masters in Architecture at The University of Melbourne.
A highly rational thinker, with the ability to navigate constraints and work within a creative framework. Through the layering of time and patina, Gil sees architecture as constantly changing, negating its previous condition into something different. He is passionate about transforming simple and honest materials into something more precious.