Victoria
Careful to consider its sensitive heritage context, Courtyard House reinterprets the previous condemned 1885 corner store’s scale, materiality, and modest street presence. The building is directly informed by the site’s history, the shiplap cladding and galvanised roof establishing a contemporary expression of the past.
Unusually located at the centre of the street frontage, the southern courtyard enables a more dynamic interface between private outdoor space and the public realm.
Courtyard House is shaped from within, dissecting the traditional gable form for a home that is private yet open, contemporary yet figurative, modest but generous.
Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Courtyard House reinterprets the local corner shop typology into a modest and generous home that shares its courtyard garden with the street. The difficult site constraints have been negotiated in a series of efficient formal moves that belies the amount of program within. Upper-level bedrooms are concealed within the roof form and the lower living rooms all benefit from the courtyard garden outlook. Materiality is sensitive and restrained, responding to the original shop and the weatherboard homes in the area.
The corner shop has allowed a zero-setback street response, challenging conventional planning setbacks, resulting in an architectural response which considers and contributes to the local streetscape. This project is an admirable example of an infill project that has managed to balance density with a sensitive and site responsive design outcome that contributes to the lives of the inhabitants and the city. Permeability and privacy are carefully balanced to ensure there is opportunity for both connection and retreat. This is a singular and cohesive solution that navigates the complexities of heritage, orientation, scale and amenity.
We’ve been settled into our beautiful home for a little over a year now and couldn’t be happier with the design. Our brief was for a timeless design and, most importantly for us, lots of natural light and sunlight.
However, northern light to our corner block was greatly overshadowed by a neighbouring building. Clare and her team ingeniously designed the house to meet this brief.
Our home is an absolute pleasure to live in. All the spaces have been thoughtfully integrated, we have wonderful airflow, and it is truly a wonderful space for a couple but also family and entertaining!
Clare Cousins, Design Architect
Oliver Duff, Project Architect
Tom Goodchild, Project Architect
Timothy Mettam, Graduate of Architecture
Yaseera Moosa, Graduate of Architecture
Eckersley Garden Architecture, Landscape Consultant
Ipsum Structures, Structural Engineer
RBA Architects & Conservation Consultants, Heritage Consultant
Urbis, Town Planner
The Australian Institute of Architects acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
