Jos Tan "celebrates city living" with compact Melbourne home
Australian architect Jos Tan has completed Melville, a compact home in Melbourne with a simple, pale brick form that mimics the appearance of the neighbouring buildings.
Located along a row of shops in the suburb of Brunswick West, the home stands directly on the street with no setback within its small, 90-square-metre plot.
Tan, founder of local studio Tan Architecture, took this as an opportunity to "celebrate city living," with tall, narrow openings that balance a connection to the street with privacy for the home's inhabitants.
"The site is an unusual one to build a house on in Melbourne, being a small six-by-15-metre subdivision on a shopping strip along a main road," he told Dezeen.
"This situation provided an opportunity to pursue a typology uncommon in Melbourne – a house with no front setback that opens directly onto the footpath; one that celebrates city living, engages with the street, and encourages face-to-face interaction," he continued.
"I think the building succeeds in having a conversation with its surroundings and about its place in the city while expressing a distinct and contemporary character."
Taking advantage of a 1.2-metre change in level from the front to back of the site, the entire ground floor level of the home was raised up to avoid direct visibility from the street.
This allowed a previous vehicle crossover to be replaced with a new pedestrian footpath in front of the home, from which a metal entrance alongside the home's front door leads directly into a "bike garage".
On entering Melville, a short stair leads up into the home's living areas, which are organised into two halves – a more public, street-facing side and a side facing onto a rear garden, described by Tan as a "private oasis."
At ground floor level, the lounge was placed at the front of the home and a dining and kitchen area at the rear, where it opens onto the garden patio through a full-height sliding glass door.
Above, two children's bedrooms and a study occupy the first floor, while the main bedroom is housed within a smaller metal volume on the second floor, which opens onto a private roof deck.
"By raising the ground floor level to match this rise and obscuring the lower section of the ground floor window facing the street, a sense of privacy is maintained without compromising visual connection to the street and sky," said Tan.
"Road and tram noise was mitigated by using thick double-glazing, cladding the house in brick, and sensible spatial arrangement."
The home's external finish of pale brick was selected for is noise-attenuating properties as well as to "honour" both the older buildings on the street and the pale-render of the neighbouring structures.
Simple, minimal finishes define the home's interiors, which feature white walls ceilings alongside floors and fittings made from salvaged timber.
Elsewhere in Melbourne, Matt Gibson Architecture + Design recently extended a 19th-century terraced home with a series of contrasting brick extensions informed by Arts and Crafts-style architecture.
The photography is by Tom Ross.
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