Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Twin Townhouses Break New Ground for Multigenerational Living in Melbourne

Twin Townhouses Break New Ground for Multigenerational Living in Melbourne

An affordable two-unit home provides a beautiful solution to the city’s housing shortage.

In a densely packed Melbourne suburb, architects Jessie Fowler and Tara Ward of Fowler + Ward have crafted an elegant multigenerational dwelling that’s a refreshing spin on the typical humdrum dual-occupancy townhouse.

"Dual-frontage subdivisions are a practical and affordable way to double density within the suburbs, however they are often associated with a loss of neighborhood character, awkward spaces, and minimum setbacks that overwhelm unhappy neighbors," explain Fowler and Ward, who formed their emerging practice in 2018.

"This project explores how we can rethink these developments to create new dialogues with existing streetscapes and better quality homes," continue the architects. "The playful form, evocative materials, and deep connection to the site all work together to address this tension."

The clients, a young couple with a son, inherited the small 5,000-square-foot suburban lot with a run-down California bungalow in 2013. Rather than pursue a renovation, they hoped to squeeze two homes onto the block to create a new home for themselves and an affordable place for their son’s grandparents to downsize as well.



Following the example of the neighboring homes, the architects placed the upper floor slightly behind the ground-floor volume. Although the new roof is only 47 inches taller than its single-story predecessor, it allows for a second story.



The ground-floor volume is covered warm timber surfaces and stucco render with a Dulux Surfmist paint finish.

While working with a tight construction budget, the architects challenged themselves to "avoid the anonymity of battle-axe developments"—wherein dwellings are subdivided with one house in front and the other in back-and instead create a dual-frontage subdivision with both houses oriented toward the street to better engage with the neighborhood.

This thoughtful, community-focused approach also informed the Thornbury Townhouses’ material palette and form. The slightly skewed gable echoes the rooflines of the neighbors, while brick detailing and white cladding reference the clinker-brick houses across the street.



"The brick detailing at the entries, together with rich timber and crisp white cladding, inverts the cul-de-sac palette but plays along," note the architects.



The architects also minimized the appearance of the street-facing garages by concealing the western townhouse’s carport behind a timber picket gate and seamlessly integrating the other fully enclosed garage into the facade. Here is a close-up of the deeply recessed eastern townhouse entrance with the concealed carport to the left.

A former fence was also replaced with recycled red-and-cream brick pillars with integrated mailboxes that serve as inviting places to perch.

"A productive tension of ‘together but apart’ drives the materiality and detailing," explain the architects. "The houses each have an individual entry separated by a softly defined garden and a sculptural crepe myrtle. A deep porch to one side and a thin blade awning to the other offer a sense of threshold and suburban familiarity."



A battened window lets in northern light while reducing summer solar gain.

To fill the main living spaces with daylight, the architects set the second floor back from the rear to capture northern light via clerestory windows. The bright interiors also benefit from the double-height voids that follow the ridge, while the open-plan living spaces open up to a rear terrace for indoor/outdoor living.



Glazed sliding doors connect the living spaces to an outdoor deck built with Silvertop ash. Setbacks allow for "deep pockets of garden," according to the architects.



Highlight windows bring an abundance of daylight indoors while maintaining a constant connection with garden views.

Passive principles largely informed the design of home, which captures thermal energy with exposed concrete floors and reverse brick veneer walls adjacent to north-facing windows. Integrated eaves and battened windows mitigate unwanted solar gain in summer, and operable windows allow for natural ventilation.



A large Pop and Scott paper lantern anchors a corner of the living room.



In the light-filled kitchen, gray sardo granite by Peraway Marble lines the backsplash and countertop. The kitchen island is built from Plyco birch plywood.



"Moments of finer-scale timber detailing are carried through the design, providing a sense of craftsmanship for the builder and furniture maker clients," note the architects.

"The project balances design needs to build two long-term, high-quality homes on a limited budget," say the architects of the year-long build. "This was achieved in a number of ways. Spatial planning was carefully considered to reduce the building footprint. Circulation is multifunctional and encompasses laundry, drop off, and living areas. Low maintenance, commonplace, and robust materials were chosen for their longevity and cost effectiveness."



The powder room features Dulux Australia’s Briar paint.



Classic Ceramics wall tiles are combined with Caroma Cube ceramic basins in the bathrooms.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×