Designing with steel in a modern Australian context

Victorian terraces are defined by a recognisable spatial sequence: narrow rooms arranged one behind another, high ceilings and ornate details layered across a deep footprint. While atmospheric, the typology often struggles with natural light, particularly in the centre of the plan.

At The Terrace House, the architectural strategy was less about altering the bones of the dwelling and more about recalibrating how daylight moves through it.

Floor-to-ceiling steel windows and doors open the rear of the home to the courtyard garden, their slender profiles allowing larger panes of glazing than traditional timber joinery. Light is drawn deep into the interior, where internal steel-framed openings allow it to travel between spaces.

The steel frame's fine proportions sit comfortably against existing mouldings, plasterwork and timber detailing, reinforcing rather than competing with the building’s original character.

“It was about complementing the age of the Victorian dwelling,” explains Gaelan Walker, Managing Director of GRW Build.

“There’s an authenticity, character and robust weight to steel that makes it feel appropriate for these kinds of projects, particularly older homes where similar materials may once have been used.”

Moving through the home reveals how each custom steel element responds to its specific setting. In some rooms, the frames almost disappear, allowing daylight to become the primary feature. Elsewhere, the steel is deliberately expressive, introducing pattern, texture, tone and depth.

One of the most distinctive moments occurs in the main ensuite, where a curved sliding steel door has been fabricated from raw-primed steel before being hand-painted in a merlot finish. The door incorporates both glazing and stone inlays; this unusual combination transforms a functional element into a sculptural room divider.

The steel windows and doors in The Terrace House give the house its sense of discovery throughout.

“Steel Window Design bases its shop drawings on the architect’s schedule,” explains Gaelan. “From there, we collaborate frequently to ensure the windows and doors work with the site circumstances and any changes. Once finalised, those drawings go back to the architect for review and approval.”

Because every frame is fabricated individually, decisions around proportion, glazing and junctions become part of the architectural design process rather than a product catalogue selection.

The steel frames' fine sections allow expansive glazing and crisp junctions, but they leave little room for error during installation. For builders, the preparation begins long before the frames arrive.

“We allow all our tolerances precisely as per the advice from Steel Window Design,” says Gaelan. “The goal is to have no or very discreet caulking connections.”

Installation is carefully sequenced across the build. External doors are installed early to secure the building and achieve lock-up, while internal frames are often installed during structural framing. The doors themselves are fitted later, once heavy trades have finished their work.

Protective films and controlled access ensure the frames remain in pristine condition through to completion.

Throughout the house, steel moves between two architectural roles.

In some locations, the design of the steel frames is understated, allowing glass to dominate and daylight to travel freely between rooms.

In others, the material becomes more pronounced. Textured glazing and heavier bar work introduce moments of drama within cabinetry and internal partitions.

“The bespoke nature of the internal windows and doors really created playful moments through the house,” says Gaelan. “Some bring sheer awe to a room through heavy metal work and textured glazing, while others are incredibly minimal; maximum glazing to improve natural light.”

Although steel windows originated in Europe, their resurgence in Australian residential architecture is closely linked to local fabrication.

Steel Window Design produces its frames entirely in Australia using locally sourced steel and suppliers.

Each system is fabricated by qualified metalworkers rather than assembled from imported components or standardised kits. This reinforces the bespoke nature of the work, allowing each frame to respond precisely to the architectural context in which it sits.

The Terrace House demonstrates how steel can reinterpret heritage architecture without overwhelming it.

Rather than introducing a new stylistic language, the frames adjust how the house performs; drawing in daylight, extending views and introducing moments of detail that unfold gradually as the house is experienced.

When sunlight moves through the courtyard doors in the afternoon, passing through a slim steel frame and across the stone floor, the intervention feels simple and effortless.

Yet it is the result of careful design, collaboration, and local craft, qualities defining the role of steel in modern Australian homes.

​Visit the showroom at 27-29 Raglan Street, Preston, Victoria or contact Steel Window Design on ArchiPro today.