neighboring inspiration – Port Melbourne

Surrounded on all sides by neighboring properties in bay-side Port Melbourne, Vic, this site was unique in that it was irregular with a particularly wide frontage, with a mixture of houses on one side of the street with commercial and industrial buildings on the other.  Importantly, the existing house could be demolished and so Chan Architecture had the opportunity to design a new house from scratch, which is very rare for inner-city Port Melbourne.
The brief was to design a striking, modern house that made the most of the small site and yet worked well with the existing streetscape. The response was to start with materials that were prominent in the area – red brickwork, metal cladding and perforated sheet metal which we used in a unique manner.
Strong, angular lines were used in conjunction with recycled brickwork that made reference to the warehouse aesthetic prominent in this part of Port Melbourne.
The façade was ‘peeled open’ via the use of perforated mesh exposing the steel structure beneath.  This created varying levels of transparency and privacy whilst allowing natural light into the entrance area.  Black sheet metal cladding completed the façade which made reference to the industrial aesthetic in the area whilst also providing contrast and texture. The entrance alcove, combined with the stairs and the hallway, forms the spine of the house, connecting the main living spaces with the sleeping areas upstairs. Finishes like white subway tiles with contrasting black fixtures, shelves, and joinery to further emphasize the warehouse aesthetic throughout the house.