Knockdown rebuild heritage overlay
Project Alston, Williamstown
| House size | 27sq |
| Land size | 340.51m² |
| Site | Knockdown Rebuild |
| Completed | July 2025 |
Project Alston is a bespoke knockdown rebuild in Williamstown, Victoria, delivered within a heritage overlay and on a compact inner-city site.
Designed and built by Arli Homes in collaboration with DKO Architecture, the home reinterprets traditional streetscape cues through a contemporary architectural lens. Early collaboration between architect and builder was critical in navigating council approvals, resolving planning constraints, and maximising the site’s potential.
The result is a calm, light-filled family home that balances heritage sensitivity, refined materiality and long-term liveability.
Client vision
“Our vision was for a home that felt like a sanctuary – private and understated from the street, yet open, light-filled and easy to live in. It was important that the design felt balanced and considered, even on a difficult site.”
ARLI CLIENT
Our clients imagined a warm, light-filled family sanctuary, private yet connected, modest from the street, but generous in experience. They sought a home with simplicity at its heart, where thoughtful detailing and intuitive spaces would bring everyday comfort.
Key priorities included:
- Privacy from the street and a strong sense of calm
- Open, connected living zones with seamless garden integration
- Durable materials that age gracefully
- A timeless, low-maintenance palette that balanced quality with practicality
It was equally important that the home felt at ease within Williamstown’s heritage streetscape. A restrained, understated facade ensured the design remained respectful from the street, while allowing the interior experience to unfold with clarity and confidence.
Our final design delivered a home that is quietly luxurious – refined, tactile and deeply liveable.
Architectural approach
This home is shaped by a focus on light, flow and calm, designed to sit quietly within its heritage streetscape while supporting a contemporary family lifestyle.
Responding to council constraints and an irregular block, the design balances privacy and openness through considered proportions, warm materiality and a strong connection to light and garden, creating spaces that feel grounded, comfortable and intuitive to live in.
A considered street presence
The design began with how the home would settle into Williamstown’s heritage context. An understated facade maintains a respectful, modest presence from the street while allowing the interior expression to unfold more generously within.
Light as a defining element
Northern light is drawn deep into the home through generous glazing and skylights, creating shifting warmth throughout the day. The transition from a quiet entry to a soft garden outlook establishes a calm, serene atmosphere from the moment you step inside.
Refined material harmony
Inside, DKO crafted a palette of stone, oak, bronze and linen tones to evoke a sense of stillness and balance. Seamless joinery, gentle lighting and restrained detailing reinforce a feeling of intentional simplicity; where every space invites pause and comfort.
“Arli’s integrated approach brought everything together, design, detail and delivery. Their ability to manage a complex site and tough heritage requirements while keeping the design intent intact was exceptional. They guided us through every stage with solutions and the build stayed true to our budget. The result is a home that feels calm, beautifully resolved, and perfectly suited to the way we live.” ”
SAM
Cost management & premium features
Our team carefully curated materials and engineered the design to deliver a premium aesthetic that remained functional, durable and aligned with the client’s budget.
Through Arli’s integrated design and construction process, we combined refined finishes with strategic, cost-effective solutions that preserved the architectural intent and elevated the overall outcome.
The result is a layered, tactile palette that feels calm and elevated, delivering a sense of quality and cohesion throughout the home all while staying within budget.
Cost-saving strategies incorporated without compromising quality included:
- Standard-size 2400 mm glazing instead of full-height custom windows
- Laminex timber-look joinery in place of real veneer in secondary areas
- Caesarstone used as a durable alternative to natural stone where appropriate
- Reduced structural steel through engineered timber solutions
- Arli standard tiles and fittings in functional spaces, with premium finishes reserved for key moments
Some of the bespoke items, luxury finishes and key factors including higher costs in this custom project:
Bespoke fireplace & entertainment unit — mitred blockwork integrated into the living wall, with a concealed bar and fireplace plinth
Stack-bond blockwork — a textured chimney detail that elevates the fireplace and anchors the lounge
Grain-matched cabinetry — consistent shadow lines and veneer continuity from the entry cloakroom through to the butler’s pantry
Book-matched natural stone — carried across the back bench and island to create a continuous, high-impact surface
Fluted glass — adding privacy while introducing softness and visual depth
High-end integrated appliances — maintaining clean lines and uninterrupted joinery
Custom cabinetry — tailored storage designed to feel seamless and architectural
Natural stone — grounding the interior with texture, variation and longevity
Bronze tapware — introducing warmth and a subtle contrast against stone and tile
Oversized skylights — drawing natural light deep into the plan
Premium GB Masonry Blockwork — adding rhythm, texture and architectural expression
Premium timber floorboards — creating warmth and continuity across living spaces
Concealed heating and cooling — delivering comfort without visual interruption
Linen window furnishings — softening light and enhancing material warmth
Integrated gas and electric fireplaces — anchoring living spaces with warmth and visual focus
Integrated landscaping — extending the home’s material language outdoors
Architectural challenges & considered solutions
Every project presents its own set of challenges. At Project Alston, site constraints, heritage sensitivities and technical complexities became opportunities to elevate the architecture through Arli’s integrated design and construction process. By approaching each hurdle with clarity and collaboration, we transformed constraints into refined, considered solutions that strengthened the final outcome.
This architect-designed project exemplifies Arli’s approach to custom homes, blending design intent with build precision.
Kitchen design & budget balance
The challenge
The original kitchen design incorporated fully integrated cabinetry, pocket doors, and high-end hardware throughout. Once cost estimates were finalised, it became clear that this level of integration would exceed the project budget.
Our solution
Working closely with DKO, Arli refined the design to maintain its character while improving practicality and cost efficiency. Pocket doors were removed, fluted-glass details simplified, the layout reworked and Caesarstone introduced in secondary areas. These considered adjustments achieved a refined, functional and enduring kitchen without compromising the overall aesthetic.
Precision blockwork & detailing
The challenge
Critical block coursing established key dimensions for window heights, fireplace proportions and the facade rhythm. Any variation risked disrupting the architectural alignment.
Our solution
Arli completed detailed set-out coordination early in construction, ensuring millimetre precision between structural steel and brickwork. This achieved perfectly aligned masonry and uninterrupted architectural lines that underpin the home’s restrained simplicity.
Integrating multiple cladding types
The challenge
The facade combined brickwork, corrugated metal and James Hardie cladding, each with different profiles and depths that threatened visual cohesion.
Our solution
By adjusting the structural frame to accommodate varying material thicknesses, Arli ensured each cladding type sat flush. The result is a facade that reads as a single, harmonious composition with balanced proportions.
Handling delicate block materials
The challenge
The chosen saw-cut concrete blocks offered texture and character but were fragile and easily chipped during installation.
Our solution
Specialist bricklayers were engaged to hand-cut and install each piece with exceptional care. Their craftsmanship delivered crisp edges, consistent coursing and subtle tonal variation, giving the home its distinctive and enduring character.
Fireplace construction & sequencing
The challenge
Extensive internal steelwork made conventional fireplace installation impossible after framing was complete.
Our solution
Arli re-engineered the construction sequence, building most of the chimney structure first and creating a concealed rear access point for the fireplace unit. This protected surrounding finishes and preserved the intended design proportions.
Roof design & height restrictions
The challenge
Heritage overlays limited the parapet height to 300 mm, conflicting with the falls required for drainage and box guttering.
Our solution
Through close collaboration with roof plumbers, compliant falls were achieved without sacrificing ceiling heights or exterior proportions. The result is an elegantly simple roofline that conceals highly resolved engineering.
Irregular block & planning setback
The challenge
A wide frontage and shallow depth created planning constraints and limited internal flexibility.
Our solution
Arli undertook multiple rounds of council negotiation to optimise the layout. The approved plan maximises openness, northern light and indoor-outdoor connection, despite the constraints of the site.
Heritage controls & streetscape integration
The challenge
The design needed to harmonise with Williamstown’s heritage streetscape while maintaining a contemporary architectural expression.
Our solution
Arli, Ian Browne and DKO resolved this through a sensitive material palette, weatherboard-inspired cladding and a brick chimney that nod to the area’s character. Refined massing and detailing introduce a modern clarity while ensuring the home feels at ease within its context.
Value engineering without compromise
The challenge
Delivering architectural richness within a $1.4m budget required disciplined decision-making and strategic allocation of finishes.
Our solution
Arli’s integrated design-and-build approach enabled smart trade-offs including reducing glazing heights, using engineered timber in place of selected steel beams and concentrating premium materials in high-impact areas. The outcome is elevated, balanced and intentionally curated.
Project Alston is a testament to collaboration and craft – a home that balances heritage sensitivity with contemporary expression. Delivered on budget and executed with precision, it reflects Arli’s commitment to creating spaces that are as enjoyable to live in as they are beautiful to experience.
Arli’s attention to detail and understanding of design transformed a constrained site into a refined, light-filled sanctuary.
IAN BROWNE | LEAD DESIGNER
Through thoughtful planning, technical mastery and a deep respect for place, Project Alston embodies Arli’s philosophy: clarity, balance and the quiet confidence of great design.
For more examples of thoughtfully resolved bespoke builds, view our other Custom Case Studies.
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