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This transformative renovation in West Brunswick reconfigured the existing space to create a harmonious blend of energy efficiency, functionality, and captivating aesthetics, all largely within the existing building and roof form. The original Californian bungalow presented challenges with its circuitous interior layout, dark south-facing kitchen and poorly positioned service areas on the north side. Our client expressed a desire for added space to accommodate guests without sacrificing her cherished herb garden. Through a meticulous and sustainable approach, we reconfigured the existing spaces to incorporate an extra bedroom and welcoming north-facing living areas. Thoughtfully repositioned doorways now facilitate seamless movement throughout the home, enhancing the overall flow and accessibility. The introduction of a cozy, new study space, strategically located in place of the previous laundry area, has become the heart of the house's design. The newly created openness within the living areas not only streamlines our client's daily activities but also fosters a warm and inviting atmosphere, encouraging meaningful conversations and joyful gatherings among her family and friends. One unique feature of this project was a ventilated pantry which uses warm air from the fridge motor to create a natural stack effect to draw cool air from under the house to keep the space consistently cool. The pantry storage is in wire baskets which the air can flow through and warm air is expelled through a vent in the roof. This ensures the ideal environment for storing fresh produce and dairy products and reduces the need for a large refrigerator. Another feature were mechanical heat shifters which can be turned on equalise the temperature throughout the house or vent hot air out of the house on still hot summer nights.

Same Footprint House

Houses - Renovation

This is a major renovation to a small weatherboard cottage in a very dilapidated condition. The site is tiny and landlocked on three sides although it does have a north-facing back yard. The brief was to provide an extension and upgrade with as small eco-footprint as possible. The result is an extremely energy-efficient and stylish house with carefully selected materials for low embodied energy and good indoor environment quality. The interior was reconfigured to allow northern light into living area. Service areas like the kitchen, bathroom and laundry were relocated to the centre of the house. Three angled light shafts above the service area provided ample light and ventilation for the space. At the heart of the house, the open plan living areas and kitchen maximized the flexibility of space and open out to the paved backyard. The north facing double glazed timber windows not only provide maximum north sun light but also link the view between inside and outside. Long windows at the rear and side borrow space and colour from outside to extend the apparent size of the rooms. The spacious new attic, accessed by a pull down ladder concealed in the ceiling, provides enough storage area for this tiny house. The attic’s light shaft, installed with a louvre window, expels the hot air in summer via stack effect.

Skycatcher

Houses - Renovation, Tiny Houses/Studios/Apartments

Every project ABA work on is unique because we are always working in collaboration with the clients. Working with owner-builders takes this to another level espcially when they are building almost the whole thing themselves. This allows for so much more experimentation when you know that they have the skills to tweak and work out any problems as they go along. We love it! Located in the bushfire prone Australian Alps, the house is off-grid and provides all it’s own energy, water and waste treatment on site. They also produce a lot of their food on site too and the clients are amazing cooks. One of the clients had parents living on a farm so they came to ABA with the desire to use strawbale construction as they could get the bales for free. The building form was generated by ideas of what was easy to build, easy materials to source and transport to site, and bushfire resistance. The curved roof form to the main part of the building allowed a large span with no flashings or points to catch leaf litter. This shape was later reflected in a strawbale sauna (with a delicious little plunge pool set in a forest gully). The first step to enable the build was to construct a large shed to enable water collection on site. The owners lived in this as they built the house. 100,000 litres of water storage with solar PV panels and batteries are located near the shed. The house is set on a steeper part of the site and has a north aspect facing to the side, along the length of the narrow valley. The house is set into the site with a large basement area & 1.5 storeys above. This allows the roof form to follow the angle of the slope and also gives a generous ceiling height to the living area & a master bedroom tucked under the eaves – with magnificent north views. The metal cladding on the north side of the house has been used like a trombe wall which is a passive solar heating device. The air cavity within the wall superheats with the sun on it and vents at low level in the first floor living area can be opened (often around 11am in winter) to let this warm air boost the temperature in the house. Temperature sensors show that when it is 15° outside, and 26° inside, the air within the metal-clad wall is 37°. Not a bad temperature boost when it is chilly outside! Of course in summer the cladding needs to be vented to the outside. The house is in a BAL 27 bushfire risk category and all external surfaces are metal or 3cm thick render over the strawbales. Gravity-fed external sprinklers are installed under all the eaves to wet the walls before and during a fire front. And there is a bushfire bunker set into the slope in the basement. Great for peace of mind.

Smoko Strawbale

Houses - New

This small project for the City of Moreland involved the renovation of existing meeting room toilets and the insertion of an externally accessed automated toilet into the existing building fabric. One of the complexities of the project was that the Library and its meeting rooms needed to remain operational at all times so the area for access to the construction works was shared with the public including parking for 30+ prams for a weekly Baby Rhyme Time session held in a room adjacent to the works. Careful coordination was also required for relocation of the Library’s main telecommunications panel and a fire hydrant & hose reel during the works.

Coburg Library

Community

The small house that feels big. This beach house on a clifftop site has been designed to sit within the slope and the tree canopy. It is scarcely visible from the adjoining beach. The house has a tiny footprint and has been designed with sustainability principles in mind. Despite being only 120m2 it can comfortably accommodate just the single occupant or sleep twelve. A double bed-sized daybed off the hallway has a wall of bookshelves and creates a cosy breakout space, extra accommodation, and a great play space for children. The building forms angle and rotate to move around the existing trees on site. A delightful play with perspective and perception occurs as one moves through the home. For example the front of the house looks large upon approach, but is intimate as you move through it; the central north-facing deck has a wall that is almost half height, giving a sense of containment and protection but allowing distant views; and the Living room creates a tardis-like effect, seeming cosy and intimate yet accommodating the entire extended family clan comfortably. Varying ceiling heights in the house create intimacy, open up views and provide space for a hidden rooftop viewing deck. And around the house a number of other outdoor rooms have been created: an east terrace nestled into the hill, a north entertaining deck, a private southern deck with space for 1 or 2, and a beautifully sculpted firepit atop the hill. The homeowners adore the site's snug setting, nestled with access to captivating ocean views. Being passionate about boating, they revel in observing the passing yachts. They note how different parts of the house come alive at various times of the year. Throughout the seasons, the house seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor spaces, enabling them to enjoy an extended living experience. A favorite aspect for the owners is the meticulous attention given to the cabinetry, including the provision of space for eskies and boxes beneath the kitchen island counter. The architect's careful consideration of the functionality of a vacation home has left a lasting impression. These subtle yet thoughtful touches significantly enhance the comfort of staying in the house, despite its compact size. No-one wants to spend their holiday doing maintenance so the house has been designed to be extremely low maintenance, especially the exterior that has to cope with the harsh coastal environment. Finishes have been selected for extreme durability such as the zinc wall cladding with a 60 year+ lifespan, durable Australian hardwood timber providing a high fire rating and the composite timber decking is rot-free. All that is required is to sit back and relax and enjoy the holiday.

Zinc House

Houses - New

Studio house is an extension and reconfiguration of an existing studio space attached to a house in a former industrial building. ABA added a second storey  bedroom wing over the existing studio and reformatted circulation and storage. Sliding panels were used as a theme throughout the new rooms serving multiple functions such as window block-out shutters and allowing adaptation of the spaces to display services or collections, and use the space in multiple different ways. The energy performance of the building was upgraded with stack ventilation and good cross-flow ventilation, double glazed windows and the addition of a large rooftop solar photovoltaic array. External shading is provided to windows via appropriately-sized eaves and adjustable folding arm blinds.

Studio House

Tiny Houses/Studios/Apartments, Houses - Renovation

This renovation of a traditional Victorian terrace house in inner city Melbourne required a delicate spatial re-arrangement within the L-shaped site in order to improve livability, energy efficiency and provide a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor areas. A series of ramshackle sheds were removed and circulation reorganised to gain access to an existing upstairs loft. A small extension to the first floor area enabled the additional bedroom, WIR and ensuite required by the brief. On ground level, the kitchen and dining areas were reconfigured and opened up to the garden, with additional outdoor living space provided on a roof deck over the carport/shed area. The opening of the existing roof on the north side for the new internal staircase provided an opportunity to flood the main living spaces with north light (via roof glazing) and the natural light was also improved by new glazed sliding doors & window seat alcove to the living space. The interior design was a collaboration between architect and client, a graphic designer with a passion for textures, patterns & colours. The result has brought light, warmth and colour to the house whilst respecting the original character of the house.

L House

Houses - Renovation

A new house in a bushland setting. Like many properties, this best aspect of this site was not to the north, making passive solar design more difficult. The main living areas of the house take advantage of south-facing views edge to native bushland beside the Yarra River whilst also opening to a north-facing courtyard cut into the slope.  There are two distinct building forms: the living areas are in a corrugated iron clad form with an embracing curved roof whilst the bedroom zone is a linear extrusion (an elongated pinwheel form) along a circulation spine with a hefty north-facing stone-clad wall for internal thermal mass. Environmental features 100% rainwater collection and reuse; greywater used for toilet flushing, waste water treatment for garden irrigation; solar hot water; passive solar design; zoned bedroom & living areas, internal thermal mass spine wall; north solar access to living areas; sunshading to north windows; east and west windows minimized; good cross ventilation; ceiling fans; hydronic heating; double glazing; timber window frames; evaporative cooling; bio paints; selection of appliances for energy efficiency

Warrandyte House

Houses - New

What began as a small extension to a single classroom and upgrades to bathrooms became a much larger project involving upgrading surfaces to all external play areas. At the same time major energy and water saving upgrades were implemented. One of the complexities of the original childcare centre was that the entry was located mid-way along the length of the building and visitors had to traverse through the front play areas to get to the reception area. Obviously this was not very safe as there was no screening of visitors before they could access the children, and only a single gate. One of the important things the design incorporated was a dedicated entry pathway alongside the edge of the outdoor play space. As it was a very long pathway it was articulated with different width, screening materials and places for parents to meet up and chat, store prams, pass one another, read noticeboards and watch their children play. One the inside the staggered walls suggest different play spaces within.

Dawson St Childcare Co-op

Community

How do you turn an orange brick 1950’s ugly duckling into a stunning contemporary home with good access to light and connection to garden? This house in the Eastern mid-suburbs of Melbourne only had a few good things going for it: it had 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, many of the rooms had good north-facing access, and the original part of the house had characterful steel-framed corner windows, albeit in pretty terrible condition. On the downside, the house was dark, cold, a rabbit-warren and the only view from the house to the back garden was looking straight into the shed. In addition, there was a large deciduous Box Elder tree right outside the back door which needed to be retained.  The dark south side of the house was reassigned to service functions only, and a new courtyard. To get around small bedrooms without any storage, a number of walk-in-robes were built. New doors between living spaces open up to give more direct circulation, light penetration and views to the outside. The real highlight, however, is the tree which is now the centre around which the house revolves and provides a green shady aspect in summer and sun-filled living spaces in winter.  The small kitchen extension turns the house around to face to the north-facing rear garden across a large deck and outdoor eating area located around the tree. Given the Mediterranean background of one of the owners outdoor entertaining is a huge focus and the deck and outdoor dining area provide this beautifully. They have recently extended this even further with a built in woodfired pizza oven & outdoor lounge area. Aperol spritz anyone?

Suburban Loci

Houses - Renovation

Victorian charm meets Japanese serenity. This isn't just a renovation of a small Victorian weatherboard cottage; it's a testament to the transformative power of architectural innovation. ABA took on the challenge of a tiny poorly oriented site, limited access, and a modest budget to create a masterpiece. Our client's appreciation for the art of living in compact spaces, influenced by their time living in Japan, inspired a design that marries functionality with aesthetic prowess. Gone are the days of subpar construction, of multiple lean-to’s with ever diminishing ceiling heights. In its place there is now a new kitchen, dining, bathroom (with a separate toilet), and laundry facilities that redefine luxury. The renovation seamlessly blends improved storage, abundant light, breathtaking views, weather resilience, and top-notch soundproofing. But that's not all – a unique Japanese soaker bath awaits, complemented by carefully crafted spots for your feline friends to bask in the sun and discreet handling of pet doors and cat curfew requirements. A small internal courtyard adds a touch of north solar magic and garden views to both sides of the new kitchen-dining room at the back of the house. Whilst retaining the same building footprint this creates the feeling of a much larger house. Venture upwards, and you'll discover an innovative attic room nestled into the existing roofspace and designed for guest accommodation, complete with a panoramic city views and easy access via a sleek ladder. Dive into the sustainability features that make this renovation an eco-conscious dream. An internal courtyard invites the sun into living spaces, while an insulated concrete slab to the extension ensures optimal thermal mass. All new services are electric and are powered by a 4.1 kW photovoltaic solar system. Metal sunshades, timber shutters, and double-glazed windows with thermally broken frames contribute to energy efficiency. Environmental consciousness guided every choice from LED light fittings to high efficiency Methven tapware. Japanese porcelain tiles and low VOC materials and finishes ensure durability, longevity and good indoor air quality. A greywater diversion system and 1000L water tank ensures responsible water usage in the small garden.

Attic House

Tiny Houses/Studios/Apartments, Houses - Renovation

In a fantastic remodeling of a dreary brick veneer home from the 80s, ABA made this house worthy of its wonderful bushland site with river views. An adaptive reuse of the existing structure was done to improve energy efficiency, functionality and aesthetics. The renovation has been done in two stages over a number of years. This was a substantial makeover to a very average project home – literally a screening. The original house had many problems which included poor orientation, back of house functions facing the street, nobody could find the front door and small, dark rooms lined with brown exposed brick and timber ceilings. The solution was to add extensions at either end of the building with an external decorative timber screen along the public side of the house to conceal everything in between and provide shelter from the harsh west sun. The new entry is visible from the street and we opened the living and bedroom spaces up and created large windows opening out to cantilevering decks and the view. A new garage and studio were added to the south end of the house continuing the line of the original building form. New external walls at the north and south end of the house are in stone cladding or radially sawn weatherboards left in their natural state to weather and blend with the landscape. Custom designed furniture, joinery and artworks repeat an elongated rectangular motif at different scale throughout the project. At once stage the client asked us if it would be possible to have the door to the workshop hidden as part of a bookcase – to which we replied “Of course, anything is possible”.

Plenty House

Houses - Renovation

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