Sunbeams House
Fitzroy North, Melbourne
Sunbeams House is a single-fronted Victorian workers cottage in Fitzroy North, double brick and under a heritage overlay at the front, renovated in 2022 by Imogen Pullar Architecture for a Melbourne couple with a new two-storey addition at the back. The addition is set back from the old house to make this north-facing courtyard, which traps the sun and gives the kitchen and living room a view of the garden through large sliding doors. The practice's own summary is "A neglected, cold and damp terrace house has a new lease on life - with daylight and warmth filtering into the house from every angle."
The front two bedrooms and the chimneys were kept, new floors went in so the house could be insulated underneath, hydronic heating replaced the gas ducting, solar panels went on the roof and a third bedroom was added upstairs, kept low enough not to shade the garden. The addition sits on an insulated slab behind double-glazed timber windows, with light-coloured metal cladding chosen to keep the heat down and external vertical blinds shading the north glazing. Imogen Pullar: "The materials and finishes selected are hardwearing and timeless, so as not to fall out of style and need replacing in a short time".
Imogen Pullar Architecture
Imogen Pullar Architecture, which also trades as IP Architecture, is Imogen Pullar's sole practice in Brunswick; she trained in Denmark and Melbourne, has over 17 years in architecture and works on low-energy homes. Sunbeams House was designed with Emilie Brunel and Nayan Puri.
Architecture Imogen Pullar Architecture (@ip_architecture). Photography Marnie Hawson (@marniehawson). Builder @healeyconstructions. Landscaping @jala_landscape_studio. Styling @bellebrightproject. Seen via @thedesignfiles.
The picture comes from this post on Instagram.
Researched September 2026. I credit each piece as carefully as I can; if you know more about this one, message me on Instagram.