he built environment of Cremorne in inner-suburban Melbourne is nothing short of chaotic – an eclectic mix of residential, commercial and industrial uses bounded by major roads and the Yarra River, and divided by the railway. The homeowner, enamoured with the hubbub of this local context, sought a modest, single-storey addition to elevate the amenity of her existing worker’s cottage and support her continued enjoyment of life within the increasingly densifying suburb. From the street, the old cottage – which occupies a minute, 156-square-metre site – is dwarfed by a looming, 12-storey commercial building at its rear. This unusual urban arrangement drove Figr to consider “how to
