This spectacular Clifton Hill house occupies a uniquely big, 80 metre-long block for Melbourne’s internal northern suburbs.
But the measurement also posed a obstacle for Clare Cousins Architects, who were questioned to style and design a new residence for a few and their three teenage daughters.
‘The clients expected a home that could accommodate not only their each day life, but also be the long run home for an ageing guardian and visiting relatives,’ director Clare Cousins states.
To keep away from disrupting the heritage seem of the region, the design took cues from the site’s present submit-war cottage. Its outdated bricks were being salvaged and integrated in the house’s identification, ‘offering a feeling of permanence and lower-upkeep durability’.
A single of the most striking components of Esplanade Dwelling is its compartmentalised layout, described by curved partitions and distinctive wings — which merge at the coronary heart of the home.
The entry is established again from the footpath behind a no cost-standing ‘utility building’ adorned with strike-and-miss out on brickwork. It retailers bikes and photo voltaic battery storage, but Clare notes how this clever addition also ensures privacy for the front courtyard and northern wing of children’s bedrooms.
The entrepreneurs asked for that the home search ‘at ease’ amongst the predominantly single-storey bordering houses. This guide to a discrete next flooring that serves as the adult’s area, featuring the principal bed room and study. There’s also self-contained studio at the rear primed for friends.
Inside, sustainably sourced blackbutt timber complements the light-stuffed dwelling areas. And the moody inexperienced joinery in the kitchen incorportates just one of the family’s favorite colors.
The client’s really like of gardening was also central to the undertaking. Walled gardens are broken up about the sculptural architecture and a effective garden is the practical centrepiece of the backyard.
‘The elongated prepare weaves the residence and the Fiona Brockhoff-built yard together, providing several outside options and vistas from all rooms of the residence, although remaining sympathetic to its heritage context,’ Clare explains.
Esplanade Household showcases how thoughtful home layout can regard the earlier, even though remaining firmly anchored in the present — and making sure relevance nicely into the upcoming.
See more of Clare Cousins Architects’ work in this article.