The design for a young family challenges the accepted parameters of a 4×2 house in an established inner-city suburb, working with a modest budget. Located on a single residential urban infill site in Mt Hawthorne, we responded to the local planning and design guidelines while aiming to set a new precedent.

From the outset, this house is different from its neighbours. We rejected the idea of a street fence, instead, deciding to embrace the two street frontages; a perforated brick wall creates a street-side courtyard, to ensure the family’s privacy, and the rear elevation comprises a playful series of linear volumes.

The site planning was driven by a desire to maximise northern exposure, by pushing the house out to street boundaries as much as possible to create a northern yard at the rear. 

The design also prioritises passive thermal performance, which helps to minimise utility bills for heating and cooling requirements while maintaining comfortable conditions all year round. 

The project achieved an 8.6 star rating under the NatHERS scheme, well above the minimum mandatory 6 stars.

Status: Completed 2017

Project Type: Homes – new build

Client: Private

Materials: Timber, Masonry

CREDITS:

Team: MDC Architects, Bruce Construction Design