Project: Four-Bedroom Family Home
Architecture: InForm Design in collaboration with Pleysier Perkins Architects
Lead Architect: Simon Perkins
Structural engineer: BDD Engineering
Stylist: Bek Sheppard
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Built Area: 459 m²
Year: 2020
Photo Credits: Derek Swalwell
Text by InForm Design
Set on an unusual wedge-shaped property this four-bedroom family home utilises its north-west frontage for the outdoor entertaining area and pool. This orientation provides the deepest garden aspect and pleasant treed views from the main living area.
A concrete blade wall runs the entire length of the central hallway, broken only by curved reveals opening straight to the heart of the house – a generous kitchen, meals, living area. Space and light are amplified by the double height void over the living area, with full height north glazing, tempered as required by external louvres. On the opposite wall a concrete chimney stack creates a vertical gesture accentuating the dramatic height variation.
The ground floor also includes an activities room with a dedicated kids courtyard, a guest bed/study and cellar. The upper floor accommodates all the bedrooms, where the interior palette is more whimsical, especially in the kids bedrooms. The parents bedroom enjoys a north-west outlook, protected by external louvres and curtains.
Externally the building has a minimalist sculptural quality – monochromatic concrete walls are carefully juxtaposed with large areas of glass and finer black steel elements. A black steel and timber sunshade wraps the building – a thin but practical line between the lower and upper floor, between glass and concrete.
