Professional Services

Production Methods

  The site is located in close proximity to Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. To the west of the site are two storey Victorian terrace houses constructed to the front boundary, and to the east are three storey 1960’s flats.

  An existing dwelling on the site was to be incorporated into the new development.

  The development consists of four hybrid townhouse/apartments, of varying sizes between 100sqm and 250sqm.

  The massing of the development is graduated from single storey at the front to three storeys at the rear of the property, and is composed of four clearly defined building forms.

  Crucial to the success of the development was maximising the potential for natural light to penetrate all habitable spaces, due to the limitations of the constrained site and large building form.

  Large internal courtyards were created to the east side, around which are contained the primary living areas of three dwellings.

  In addition, the second dwelling is suspended above the driveway on slender steel beams attached to the boundary wall, creating a heightened sense of lightness over the main access to the rear dwellings.

  This site is located in a street currently dominated by flats and apartments, and thus it was considered an appropriate location for medium density housing.

  The building comprises six hybrid townhouse/apartments over four levels. The principal living spaces are at first floor level, utilising the north facing aspect along the long axis of the site.

  The bedrooms are generally on the second floor, plus an attic space within the curved roof form.

  Although effectively a four level building, the façade reads as a tripartite composition – ground floor, cantilevered first floor, and roof form.

  Pedestrian and vehicular access is segregated along the north and south sides of the site respectively, with car parking located directly below the apartments above.

  The ‘serrated’ edge of the roof form, together with the staggered screens to the terraces provides a sense of identity to each dwelling along the continuous built form.

  A corner site on an east-west axis, located opposite a park provided an opportunity for five large north facing dwellings.

  The separation of the dwellings is consistent with the subdivision patterns along the street and the residential allotments to the north.

  Each dwelling is accorded it’s own identity with subtle differences in materials and elements, yet the overall building retains a sense of coherence, and a level of transparency through the fully glazed stairwells between each dwelling.

  The corner dwelling is given a heightened presence with the roof curving in two directions along the street frontages.

  The living areas are located on the first floor due to the lack of space at ground level primarily occupied by car parking, but also to make use of the opportunities for north facing living areas and terraces, and for views to the city from the south side of the living areas.

  A corner site on an east-west axis, located opposite a park provided an opportunity for five large north facing dwellings.

  An existing house on the site had been occupied by a family spanning two generations.

  The brief for the development was the construction of two dwellings for the extended family - one for a traditional nuclear family, the other for a couple and elderly mother.

  Car parking is accessed from the rear, allowing for the front of the house to be retained for predominantly living areas and gardens.

  The constrained size of each site, together with tight Planning controls with regards to the setback at the upper level, limited the size of each dwelling.

  In order to maximise a sense of space, the ground floor services and kitchen areas are clustered along the centre of the building.

  Living areas occupy the full length of the building, and can be further divided into separate spaces via operable walls.

  Particular attention was given to the articulation of the façade, utilising sunscreens and other devices to give the building a sense of presence in a streetscape already dominated by a mixture of recent townhouse developments and a variety of housing styles constructed over several decades.

  * Feasibility and Concept studies
  * Schematic design
  * Design development
  * Town Planning application documentation
  * Working drawings and specifications
  * Tendering and contract negotiation
  * Construction Stage services
  * Contract administration
  * Post-construction services and follow up
  or 'close out'

  * 'Freehand' sketches and manual drafting
  * Working scale models
  * AutoCAD (2D) documentation
  * Revit (3D) documentation
  * Interior and exterior renderings
  * 'Virtual Tours and 'Walk-throughs'' in avi
  (video format)

NB: All electronic data is compatible with most other CAD systems.