La Viola House

Sitting quietly among its heritage-listed neighbours in a character-filled street in Brighton, La Viola House conceals a bold and unexpected transformation. To the street, the home presents as a single-storey frontage, designed to sit sympathetically yet confidently in a heritage context. Behind this modest façade lies a substantial four-bedroom family home across three levels—including an extensive underground basement purpose-built to house the client’s cherished collector boat.

With a deep appreciation for Victorian architecture, the client sought to replace a tired 1980s courtyard house with a contemporary residence that respected the memory of the Victorian villa that once occupied the site. Rather than replicate the past, we reinterpreted it, drawing on the proportions, ceiling heights and details of Victorian homes, while refining them through a contemporary lens.

The palette embraces modern craftsmanship and enduring materials, with the home’s standout feature being the customised Danish handmade bricks used throughout. A rich tapestry of stepped soldier courses, oversized chimneys and finely crafted fascias elevate the detailing, while a roof of Argentinian slate and a folded copper verandah speak to the home’s artisanal character.

Responding to the south-facing site, we introduced generous double-height voids, skylights and carefully placed light shafts to draw northern light deep into the floorplan—including the basement. Inside, the result is a quietly luxurious home defined by its craft, clarity of detail and spatial ambition. La Viola House is a confident response to context—respectful yet resolutely modern.