The Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the East Kulin Nation
Victoria
The Penthouse is an elegant and meticulously designed home, occupying the third and fourth levels of a boutique, three residence/four-storey apartment block. The owners sought a complete upgrade and reconfiguration of their home which was tired and dated with a floorplan that was confusing and inefficient.
Once a rabbit warren of cramped and disconnected rooms the new renovation highlights, in beautiful detail, the opportunity to clear out wasted space and celebrate natural light, fresh air, flowing spaciousness and continuous views.
When presented with an incredible space and a generous budget the response of the architect is typically to provide as much housing as possible, in whatever form, but issues such as mental health and well being can also be addressed. Good, thoughtful architecture can improve your life. This was our approach when designing The Penthouse.
The owners wanted their home to be “a place where the family could come together.”Grandparents to very young children they asked for less claustrophobic space and plenty of handy storage and shelving for display. “Everything I have is a memory of a time or place.”
Having spent time in northern Germany and Scotland in winter, the owners grew to love the celebration of the dark, “candles and firelight”. They surmised the essence of their design brief in a single word, ‘Gemütlichkeit’. A German term meaning “a state of warmth, friendliness and cozy togetherness”, similar to the Danish concept of Hygge.