Residential

Tower House

Inner Melbourne

The vision for this home was that of a classic, yet contemporary residence that could endure through time, and retain a sense of elegance—always. More importantly however, it had to be practical. The request from the owner: “We didn’t want a home that looked too pristine to live in.” To meet the brief, we worked with architect Dylan Farrell to strip the existing modern Italianate-style house of its finishes, rejig the floor plan, and enlarge entrance-ways to create a new rhythm where space is opened up and infinitely more liveable. We also completed minor external works in and around the garden, designed thoughtfully by Paul Bangay.

Described by Farrell as showcasing a “high level of craftsmanship, and a low level of showmanship,” the finished design is inspired by the work of Christian Liaigre and Joseph Dirand. It’s stylish without shouting it. The home featured on the cover of Belle Magazine in April, 2018.

Design
Dylan Farrell

Landscape Design
Paul Bangay

Photography
Prue Ruscoe

Normandy Road

Elwood

Pipkorn & Kilpatrick cleverly rearranged the original garage into a combined pool house & double garage with mezzanine storage. A dining room was also added to the house, opening the back of the original California bungalow onto the new garden & pool area designed by landscape architect Kate Patterson Landscapes.

House A

Alphington

House A (for Alphington), located in Melbourne’s inner north, was the proud Winner of the 2017 Victorian Architecture Award, Residential Architecture – Houses (New) category.
Responding to the inclined nature of its block, the house creates a feeling of a country escape — it’s design leading outward to a timber deck, where landscaping by Lygon St Nursery echoes the natural environment.

Timber plays a significant role here, both internally and externally, with rough-sawn Stringy Bark cladding the outside of the house and featuring inside too—this time, in dressed form, to clad walls and screening the staircase.

American Oak floors further complement the Australian hardwoods.
The windows, most of which are floor to above-ceiling height were custom built on-site by us.

Halo House

Glen Iris

Taking inspiration from the ‘halo effect,’ a biological term used to describe the thriving ecosystems surrounding icebergs in the Southern Antarctic Ocean; Halo House provides a sanctuary for its inhabitants, while allowing for increased activity in and around its perimeter. Designed by Breathe Architecture with landscape design by Eckersley Garden Architecture, the home was scaled to house a large family and a home business, with a focus on collective wellbeing.

Halo House also incorporates Breathe’s customary sustainable design, including a large solar PV array, electric heat pumps for hydronic heating and hot water, rain water tanks, as well as passive solar design features, operable shading and low impact material selections such as natural concrete, painted recycled brick and raw brass. All materials were locally sourced and environmentally sustainable where possible.

Halo House featured in Habitus Magazine in October 2018, and ArchitectureAU in October 2017.

Bellairs Avenue

Seddon

Kerferd Road

Albert Park

Fido Projects’ first Kerferd Road project was the brainchild of its renowned architect owner, in conjunction with Foomann Architects. It involved attention to detail to every material, junction & process. The house is externally clad in Western Red Cedar & internally fit out with American White Oak to the joinery & floors. Over 50 specialist trades were used throughout the build.

Architecture
Foomann Architects.

Photography
Willem-Dirk du Toit.

Göteborg House

Albert Park

The Göteborg House was a collaboration with Clare Cousins Architect. The existing single fronted Victorian terrace was completely stripped out & refitted with a Scandinavian interior. A coordinated blonde palette was complemented with black & bronzed fittings.

Cassiobury Avenue

Mount Eliza

A new kitchen to this post war peninsula house. Features included spotted gum cladding & open shelf, black Dekton benchtops, black 2-pac doors with custom recycled spotted gum pulls, hand made Moroccan tiled splashback & black appliances & fittings.

Linden Court

Prahran

The Linden Court project is an ongoing collaboration with Design of Wonder which has had Fido Projects return a number of times to complete various stages within this magnificent inner city Spanish Mission house: a testament to the relationships Fido Projects nurtures with their clients & designers.

Works have included replacing existing windows with new double glazed arched windows & French doors, relocation of a ground floor laundry to provide additional living space & building a compact European laundry on the first floor, construction of a new Bluestone & Terrazzo tiled outdoor terrace, new parquetry flooring, a bathroom renovation, re-carpeting & internal repainting.

Campbell Road

Deepdene

Design By Wonder brought this project to Fido Projects. Works involved a modern extension to the back of an existing double fronted single storey Victorian terrace, including a complete refurbishment of the front of the house. Hard materials of tiles, glass & exotic stone were complimented by a solid American Oak floor. An impressive external cantilevered roof over an entertaining area was clad in Silvertop Ash, finished with Porters Palm Beach Black.