A new home in Melbourne’s inner suburbs for a senior couple as they plan for their future.

The brief is for a tranquil adaptable house, that engages with its surrounding context and gardens and allows the couple to continue living in their home and community as they grow older together. The planning of the residence facilitates a home office to be converted into an independent apartment, with separate access and amenities for a future live-in carer. Generous circulation space, gentle transitions and the inclusion of a lift ensure the residence has been designed to accommodate future accessibility needs. Custom grab rails and built-in components both integrate and celebrate universal design principles.

The internal spaces within the two storey residence are flexible. An additional upper-level master bedroom, living space, and terrace (winter) and ground level living quarters (summer) are designed for the clients to enjoy the seasons within the one house. All living spaces have a direct connection to the outdoors. With either framed views of the garden, city skyline, or borrowed leafy neighbourhood landscape.

Sustainable design principles are embedded into the design. The double brick external walls provide thermal insulation, deep reveals and operable windows provide passive ventilation throughout, a central sculptural and ergonomic internal staircase with operable skylight above funnels light into the central living space.

The material palette is robust, low-maintenance, soft and textured with layers that change during the course of the day.