From the outset, the brief for this project was ambitious. Turn a heritage-listed aged care facility, built in 1886, into a contemporary home. Tyntynda, located in Moonee Ponds in Victoria, had fallen victim to poor workmanship and structural deterioration over the years, but Stan Elder, Building Director of Elder Constructions, wasn’t concerned. In fact, he was excited.

‘Beyond its current state, the building was a grand Victorian classic, full of beautiful bluestone and decorative brickwork. It seemed to be begging for restoration,’ Stan recalls.

No stone was left unturned in the renovation portion of the process. Materials were sourced from as far afield as Japan and Italy. Cast iron friezes and balustrades were accurately recreated from castings, while the original brickwork was kept and painstakingly restored. ‘This needed to be a faithful historical recreation,’ he says.

Stan had worked with the clients before, and their trust in him was evident. ‘I first worked with them nearly 20 years ago, and when they approached me to run my eye over the home prior to purchase, I assured them we could make it amazing.’

Within the restored main building lies a new master bedroom, ensuite, dressing room, library, piano room, living room, mud room, laundry and kitchen, plus a lift travelling from basement to first floor. An addition to the original home makes use of the former car-park space at the front. ‘With land values so high we needed to take advantage of every square centimetre while ensuring the extension complements the existing house,’ Stan explains.

The result is a striking modern additional structure, featuring vertical cladding mimicking the look and feel of delicate grained timber, leading the eye to the pressed-copper detail of the roof. The basement level under the extension includes a sauna, steam room, gym and games room.

It also features a car lift, turntable and space for five cars. Meanwhile lush gardens, water features and a glazed link create a soft separation between the two structures. A series of large tanks collect water off the roof through a series of hidden, sound-insulated downpipes. Uncontaminated water is stored and reused via the stand-alone reuse system.

The ground floor compromises the car lift entry, a study, two guest bedrooms, ensuite, main bathroom, laundry and a kitchenette within the summer room leading out to fully landscaped rear garden that features a pool, spa and barbecue kitchen with handcrafted concrete seats surrounding the fire pit.

HIA Judges noted the incredible attention to detail, such as the 27,000 individual cobblestones laid piece by piece and gates with hand-drawn cast-iron scrolls, created by a master craftsman who is 95 years old. Sometimes patience and persistence equal perfection.

Tyntynda before the renovations