Project summary 

The project is a courtyard extension of a 1940’s Housing Commission home at Fisherman’s Bend Port Melbourne. 

Key concepts 
The courtyard: Drawing ideas from the traditional Chinese courtyard house, the extension wraps around to provide a new courtyard which becomes the outdoor focus for the home. The courtyard seamlessly extends from the living areas, and features an outdoor kitchen, pond and built in seating. 

Ageing in place: the house is designed to allow aging in place, with a master bedroom/ensuite at ground floor to provide living options for older residents. 

Long life and loose fit: Bedrooms and alternative living areas are strategically placed to provide options for different age groups and family types, ensuring the new home has a ‘long life and loose fit’. 

Technology: The original house was innovative for its time, using a system of pre-cast concrete panels that key together to form the internal and external walls. The new house draws upon this use of early concrete technology by incorporating the latest technology insulated sandwich panel concrete walls. This technology is used to provide thermal mass to the house, and is expressed with rustic board finishes to the interior, and patterned feature walls externally. 

Connection with place: The new designs connects Fisherman’s Bend through colour and patterning. Orange panelling references the colours of ships and shipping containers, as well as the predominant terracotta roofs in the area. The fishermans bend knot occurs throughout the house as an abstracted pattern in concrete panelling and timber screens. 

Sustainability: The new house converts a zero star, uninsulated house into a six star energy rated home and includes many passive design features. Recycled plastic materials are also incorporated. 

Photography: UA Creative