‘Ponds’ by WOWOWA | A Touch of Howard Arkley.

For architect Monique Woodward, director of WOWOWA Architecture, she may have been subconsciously channelling Arkey’s work, or most likely that of architect Peter Corrigan, who took one of Corrigan’s studio’s at RMIT University during her undergraduate years. “I love the work of Peter Corrigan and Maggie Edmond. It’s just so vibrant and exciting,” says Woodward, who is recognised for her bold use of colour and form.

This boldness is certainly played out in a double-fronted cream brick veneer house in the Melbourne suburb of Moonee Ponds. Situated in a street with predominantly Victorian houses, this one, built in the 1940s, certainly stands out, even more so with its reworked entry that features a vibrant canary yellow colour scheme, including bright yellow floor tiles. Originally one house and later subdivided into two when the present owners purchased the property, it was a mishmash of styles and awkwardly planned spaces. “One of the many problems was the internal courtyard. It was brick on three sides and it was quite an effort to go from one side of the house to the other,” says the owner Peter, who lives in the house with his wife Liz and their two children. 

The owners, like WOWOWA, were keen from the outset to be surrounded by colour. “Our brief was for Monique and Zoe (Dia Colonbrianos, senior associate with the practice) to create a family home, as the one we purchased, certainly wasn’t,” says Peter, who bought the house for its prized location and its solid foundations. And although it could have been tempting to retain the red brick two-storey addition, circa 2005, it overshadowed the original house and wasn’t really used. “I think that Liz would have only ventured up the stairs a couple of times,” adds Peter.

Given the paucity of the extensions, referred to by Peter as ‘extension after extension with nothing cementing them together’, WOWOWA only retained the front rooms, one formerly a bedroom, the other a sitting room and now incorporated into a large lobby. And with the rejigging, what use to be a brick framed open fireplace in the sitting area is now integrated into the front porch. “It was an extremely challenging floor plan, with numerous levels that often led nowhere,” says Woodward.

So, while there are a few hallmarks of the original house that remaining, including decorative Jazz Moderne plaster ceilings, most of the house is virtually new – including tiered reeded glass panels and a new gold security door (with an Art Deco feel). And what was once an enclosed brick courtyard is now the main dining area (a new courtyard was created to the east). While the kitchen is loosely positioned where it was previously located, it now leads to a raised timber deck, complete with state-of-the-art barbeque facilities. “One of the things that was non-negotiable was the pizza oven,” says Peter, pointing out that it’s been reinvigorated with new tiles. And when it came to the kitchen, he was keen to be directed by the architects. Featuring bands of colour, from blood red to yellows, it’s reminiscent of Edmond and Corrigan’s approach to colour – anything but boring! The vibrant yellow extends to the steel handrails that frame the elevated main living area, and also appears in the customised joinery. 

When it came to reworking the home’s rear elevation, with its curvaceous brick enfilades, there’s a grander gesture that allows for both a stronger connection to the garden and increased light (orientated to the south to receive an even quality of light). “We enjoy working with simple materials, such as brick, but creating more complex arrangements,” says Woodward.