How long is the event?

The program runs approximately 2 hours, combining a guided tour and a talk.

Meet at 290 Walsh Street South Yarra, Victoria AU 3141 — access may be diverted via the side entrance during restoration works.

Are there age limits?

Yes — attendees must be 16 years and over.

Is the house wheelchair accessible?

As a heritage building Walsh Street cannot be modified for universal access; contact information@robinboyd.org.au for tailored mobility support.

Can I bring food or drink?

No — external food or drink is not permitted inside the house.

Are there ticket discounts?

Discounted tickets are available to RBF Friends and Boyd Circle members; check the Robin Boyd Foundation booking page for details.

Inside Hedge and Arbour House: Studio Bright’s Award-Winning Melbourne Home | Guided Tour | Photography Tour

On a quiet stretch of Walsh Street in South Yarra, Hedge and Arbour House by Studio Bright reads like a compact lesson in how homes can mediate between suburbia and bush. This evening tour and talk meets at 290 Walsh Street South Yarra, Victoria AU 3141 and pairs a close-up walkthrough of Robin Boyd’s iconic Walsh Street residence with a discussion led by Mel Bright about the award-winning Hedge and Arbour House. Studio Bright’s project sits where a dense suburban frontage meets a rising native landscape; the design negotiates exposure and privacy through deliberate garden walls and a lightweight arbour structure that frames courtyard moments. The house won the Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture — Houses (New) and its materials and sequence of thresholds reward slow attention: cork flooring underfoot, screened volumes that temper light, and a compact plan that expands into garden rooms. The evening begins inside the heritage setting of the Robin Boyd Foundation’s Walsh Street house, with context drawn from Boyd’s own experiments in modern Australian living. During May, June and July 2026 restoration works on the facade and front staircase mean scaffolding may be present and access diverted via the side entrance, though interiors and courtyard access remain available. Practical notes: attendees must be 16 years and over; no external food or drink; large bags and backpacks are checked; stiletto or pointed heels are not permitted due to cork flooring. If you require mobility support email [email protected]. What makes this visit memorable is the pairing of architecture and argument. Mel Bright will unpack how robustness, clarity and long-term thinking informed Hedge and Arbour House, then widen the lens to other Studio Bright projects such as Garden Tower House and House Freddie. Expect talk of screened skins, permeable boundaries and courtyard planning — practical design moves that translate to more liveable inner-city homes. This is as much a local story as a design one. The event is run by the Robin Boyd Foundation and supported by local partners including Brickworks Building Products, Konpira Maru Wines and Yumbo Soda. It’s ideal for architects, students, homeowners and curious travellers who want to see how contemporary Australian residential architecture negotiates landscape, privacy and community in a tight urban lot. Bring closed shoes, a curious mind, and time to look closely: these houses reveal their strategies in passing and in detail. The two-hour program (estimated duration 2 hours) blends a guided tour with a focused lecture; spaces are intentionally limited so pre-booking is recommended—discounted tickets are available to RBF Friends and Boyd Circle members. Arrive a few minutes early for check-in at the Walsh Street meeting point to clear bag storage and to orient yourself before the presentation begins and bring ID.

About Robin Boyd Foundation

Robin Boyd Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to preserving and promoting the life, work and legacy of Australian architect Robin Boyd. Based in South Yarra, Victoria, the Foundation manages Boyd’s 1957 Walsh Street residence and archives, delivering guided tours, talks, walking tours and creative workshops that connect visitors with modernist architecture and Melbourne’s built history.

The Foundation offers a range of experiences: guided tours of the Walsh Street house, evening events such as Sunset Cocktails at Walsh Street, themed talks on modern design and conservation, neighbourhood walking tours through South Yarra, and drop-in drawing sessions that pair architectural insight with sketching and photography. Each program is led by experienced guides, architects and guest speakers who present research-based commentary and curated access to Boyd’s preserved home and materials.

As a custodian of a significant heritage property and archive, the Foundation collaborates with conservation specialists, historians and design practitioners to ensure accurate interpretation and careful site stewardship. Its events are rooted in documented scholarship on post-war modernism and local architectural history, providing reliable context for students, professionals and the general public.

Visitors can expect small-group formats, focused storytelling and opportunities to photograph and study Walsh Street’s distinctive modernist features. The Foundation’s stewardship of the property, structured programming and partnerships with experts underpin its reputation as an authoritative resource on Robin Boyd and mid-20th-century Australian design.

Public programs are scheduled seasonally and include limited-capacity events, making bookings recommended for visitors seeking guided access to Walsh Street and related exhibitions and archival displays.