the quoin house
1880’s brick villa with polychrome detailing
SCOPE OF WORKS:
Restoration, renovation
Alterations & extension.BUILDER: GENJUSHO
JOINER: PETER GILL
THE LEGACY:
A brick villa built in Brighton, Melbourne in the 1880s, with incredible polychrome (multiple coloured bricks) detailing to the facades. One of the most striking uses of polychrome is around the windows and the quoins on the corners of the original house - which lead to the project nickname of The Quoin House.
The use of polychrome brickwork was not just a fashion in the late 19th century. It was also a calling card by the builder – a way to show-off high quality workmanship. And it was a way for the original owner to display to the world at large (or at least those going past) that they had enough riches to afford such high quality workmanship. The villa was built as part of a row of speculative houses for middle class residents in the late Victorian era, in a suburb that was then (and still is) very desirable due to proximity to the cooling sea breezes and surrounding stately homes. 
THE BRIEF:
Enhance the liveability of a late 19th century villa in a beautiful street close to the beach in Brighton. Remove the unsympathetic additions and reconfigure the floor plan to create a better use of space for a family of four. Play up every opportunity to create natural ventilation and brighten rooms with abundant natural daylight. Retain & restore original heritage elements wherever possible, and create a new extension to the ground floor to work seamlessly with the rest of the house's personality and the client's lifestyle. 
THE DESIGN RESPONSE:
The clients' love of camping and the great outdoors, combined with the quirky personality of the dramatically beautiful polychrome quoins on the original house, paved the way for a design for a light-filled contemporary family home which salutes contrasts of light and dark, and references the original part of the villa. Removing the earlier poky extension and replacing it with a generous single level Great Room, to incorporate a new kitchen, dining & living area, also allowed for the opportunity to include the family's much-loved billiard table right in the heart of things. A saw-tooth roof brings in welcome northern sunshine and gives the family the option of controlling natural ventilation through openable clerestory windows.
The guiding motto for the design was 'quoining to celebrate the junction' and to this end, the extension was built with contemporary versions of polychrome brickwork sitting neatly below expressed steel beams. Thanks to the patient and talented bricklayers, the bricks operate as an artwork in the space - creating a sense of movement and richness which helps to make the large room feel cosy and exciting. An earlier two-story extension (between the original villa and the new single level extension) was retained, but reworked internally to open it up as dynamic bedroom and playing wing for the children.
The addition of a new Alfresco - with polychromed quoin brick piers to reference the interior living spaces - links the beckoning swimming pool to the house in what is now a seamless, inviting space. 
“Our house is so ‘fab’ thanks to you - your expertise, practical experience and care.”
THE QUOIN HOUSE
PHOTOGRAPHY: Patrick Redmond