Melbourne Home by IDEA – Kennedy Nolan
Designed by IDEA – Kennedy Nolan, this modern single family residence is situated in St Kilda West, Melbourne, Australia.
Description by IDEA – Kennedy Nolan
We had to design a house for a family on a tricky block – it slopes downhill, it’s long and narrow, and there’s an old Victorian house already there. The house also needed all the mod cons, but it had to be super energy-efficient by using the sun’s warmth. This kind of project shows that people want architects to create something special just for them, while also being kind to the planet. That’s where custom architectural services come in. Companies like Michael Bell Architects are experts at finding clever solutions to these sorts of tricky building problems.
Whilst the accommodation requirements and the shape, orientation and terrain of the site largely determined the formal arrangement of the house, the articulation of the fabric and the detail design were generated from both the passive solar methods employed and more significantly, our Client’s request that the architecture reflect their extensive time living in various parts of Asia.
We were conscious of avoiding a literal or thematic depiction of ‘Asian’ architecture, so the connections are subltle and characterised by a minimal palette of colour, texture and form and an attempt to reference the qualitative aspects of Asian architecture rather than obvious visual representations.
That the house functions effectively for a family with frequent guests and supports both family life and individual privacy is a satisfying outcome for us. The significant achievement however, is the unexpected narrative that the house offers once through the front door. There is a sense of space unfolding and the suggestion of more at every turn. There is also a quietness in this house, a stillness and sense of retreat from the city – perhaps the most.
Photography by Derek Swalwell
- by Matt Watts
