As a modern take on inner-city life, Cecil Street combines a refreshing design that pays homage to the area's traditional Victorian terraces. Chamberlain Architects focuses on bringing natural light into the interior, ensuring a concise and uninterrupted connection with a shared sense of calm throughout the process.

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Located in one of the first suburbs north of Melbourne's CBD, Cecil Street has a modern terrace form spread over two levels, made up of detailed handmade brickwork that provides textural diversity in its approach. Though markedly different from its neighbors through its opulent feel and lack of tradition, the structure reflects the proportions of its surroundings as a tribute to the history of the area. As the housing extends between its two side boundaries, the amenities and functions of the residence are optimized from the inside. Chamberlain Architects has continued the sense of rhythm built along the streetscape and reinterpreted it in a more modern and evolutionary way.

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As an emphasis on the vertical nature of the home, brickwork and powder-coated steel fences are similar in color. This palette offers a distinct presence from the surrounding street and its lighter main brick elements, providing its own variety of statements while creating a unique identity for its owners. As soon as you enter the door, the spacious three-bedroom apartment opens, emphasizing the interior volume with a range of contrasting light tones. Unlike its traditional and heritage neighbours and its formal planning, Cecil Street is more open and connected, encouraging movement and providing relief from the outside.

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The positioning of the room and its functions is to optimize the acquisition of natural light. As the residence is south-north facing, ensuring interior lighting is also challenging; skylights were added on the central interior staircase to introduce deeper light into the narrow space. The ingenious integration of fine woodwork, stairs and handrails from wood-like varieties ensures a consistent linguistic and linear approach, in which everything feels connected and conceived from the same center of thought. Hidden feature elements support everyday hiding, and other artwork, lighting, and furniture are all to be appreciated. The minimalist nature of the house matches its claim as a place of rest, and it feels calm from the inside.

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