MELBOURNE MODERN

Melbourne Modern

Author: Thomas Walk

Photographer: Thomas Walk

How a Melbourne architect built a life in his modernist dream home

Designed in the mid 1950’s by Melbourne architects Chancellor and Patrick, Hugh Feggans' home is a testament to the longevity of the modernist era - something he heavily references in his own work.

At a time in Australian architecture where houses were staid and formal, modernism blossomed along the coastal fringes of the country. This paved the way for the open plan living we have all now come to expect in contemporary housing. “This era gave birth to houses that were very well considered. Even as a family home, it’s functional” explains Hugh, as we stand in the front yard watching his kids enjoy their miniature BMX track.

Before child two and three came along, Hugh and his partner Victoria used to walk past this house in admiration. Once the “For Sale” sign went up, they both jumped at the chance of calling a slice of historic Australian architecture their own.

The house has absorbed a growing family, and a similarly growing collection of vehicles with ease - including a ’69 911T, a GT3, a Carrera 3 track car, Victoria’s MGB, a family hauler and Hugh’s daily driver — a 3 gauge ’65 912, which also serves as a family car on weekends.

"This era gave birth to houses that were very well considered. Even as a family home, it’s functional"

Hugh calls the house a work in progress, adding his own small personal touches, with a contemporary and compulsive level of detail. “It’s like old cars, I still want the essence of a 1950’s modernist home. But it’s finding things that make it perfect for yourself, giving it a new lease on life. You become a custodian. There’s a responsibility to keep it going. You just can’t replicate the uniqueness of these old buildings, and I feel the same way about my Porsches.”

Regardless of its vintage, this home would rival the adequacies of any modern homes. Comfortably fitting a family of 5 and the office for Hugh’s architecture business, it makes a strong case that new isn’t always best. “There’s a period where certain things were done without compromise. Due to the depth and complexity of modern requirements, that’s difficult to find now. So it’s nice to have things that are less complicated, and flawlessly executed.”