This project is a luxurious new home built in the exclusive Melbourne suburb of Toorak.

The brief

There were three key components to the clients’ brief: privacy, indoor-outdoor connection and maximising the size of the home.

Design response

The home is designed around a private internal north-facing courtyard, with the front facade set as close as possible to the street to maximise outdoor space. While a planning permit required increased glazing on the front facade, privacy was maintained on the ground floor by reducing the head height of the windows, and on the first floor with the use of motorised blinds.

To maximise the feeling of space in the house, circulation spaces have been made wide, with full-height doors and large sliding panels enabling flexibility in the connection of internal spaces.

The full-height sliding doors also provide an indoor-outdoor connection between spaces. At the first floor level there is also a large terrace that creates a covered outdoor area below. Meanwhile, on the basement level there is a fully planted sloping lightwell that connects the basement to the street level and brings natural light into the space.