Location: Melbourne, Australia.

Architect: Austin Maynard.

The owners of a garden site in an inner city suburb wanted to create a “pocket park” with their new home, rather than exploiting the location for profit. The resulting design included a glass pavilion for living and dining, with great care taken to retain the existing trees on the site. An old stable building was also renovated to include a garage, study/library, and bedroom/bathroom. The distinguishing feature of the design is the use of corrugated Colorbond steel cladding, which creates sinuous ripples on the old stable building and unifies the overall look of the home. The bedroom/study retreat offers a private connection to the main house through a grove of birch trunks and low shrubs. The lush greenery and curved steel of the home stand in contrast to the dark masonry walls of the neighboring terraces. Overall, the design prioritizes creating a green oasis in the heart of the city and giving back to the beloved suburb.

Photo credit: Derek Swalwell.