Inside Melbourne’s most beautiful new brick townhouses, Shelley Street draws upon Richmond’s industrial past to create nine contemporary residences grounded in their local context. Designed by DKO with interiors by SLAB for Oz Property Group, the development occupies a corner site where warehouses and traditional terraces have long shaped the character of the neighbourhood. Rather than departing from this history, the architecture uses it as a foundation, translating familiar forms and materials into a contemporary approach to inner-city living.
Brick plays a defining role throughout the development. The site was previously occupied by a warehouse, prompting an extensive search for a brick that closely reflected the colour of the original building. This material connection gives inside Melbourne’s most beautiful new brick townhouses a sense of continuity, while considered detailing brings a more contemporary expression to the exterior.
Internally, the townhouses challenge some of the conventions associated with higher-density living. Floor plans are inverted, positioning living spaces on the upper level with direct access to rooftop terraces. Three and four-storey voids, high-level windows and raked ceilings bring light deep into the residences, while each townhouse is oriented north. Sawtooth roofs introduce additional southern light, helping the interiors feel open and generous despite the urban setting.
This attention to volume continues through the bedrooms and kitchens. Bedrooms move beyond typical inner-city proportions and feature large, steel-framed picture windows, while kitchens rise to 3.7-metre-high raked ceilings. Steel joinery, marble and a darker material palette reference Richmond’s industrial character, giving inside Melbourne’s most beautiful new brick townhouses an atmosphere that is deliberately moodier than many contemporary residential developments.
Beyond the individual residences, Shelley Street considers how architecture can encourage a sense of community. Each townhouse has its own entrance, reinforcing the feeling of an individual home, while a shared courtyard creates opportunities for neighbours to meet and interact. In contrast to the enclosed corridors common to apartment living, this communal space establishes a more open connection between residents and reflects the social qualities of traditional terrace neighbourhoods.
One of the nine homes also mediates the transition between an existing heritage residence and the new four-storey development. Its stepped scale moves from single to double and then four storeys, while black metal mesh and bluestone distinguish its material expression. The bluestone extends from outside into the internal corridor, strengthening the relationship between architecture and interior.
The result of a collaborative process between DKO, SLAB and Oz Property Group, inside Melbourne’s most beautiful new brick townhouses demonstrates how density can respond thoughtfully to place. Through brick, light, generous proportions and shared outdoor space, Shelley Street establishes a contemporary interpretation of Richmond’s residential and industrial history.
Balancing individual ownership with a stronger connection to community, inside Melbourne’s most beautiful new brick townhouses offers an alternative model for inner-city life – one informed by the suburb that surrounds it and designed to feel distinctly like home.
0:00 – Introduction To Richmond By Oz Property
1:32 – Designing With Light And Space
2:37 – Creating A Sense Of Home And Community
3:50 – A Shared Vision For Richmond For The Project
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Photography by Tom Blachford.
Architecture by DKO.
Interior design by SLAB.
Filmed and edited by SIRAP.
Production by The Local Production.
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
The Local Project acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land in Australia. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our country and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.
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