Coburg House
Thornbury Eucalypt House
Kenmore Pavilion
North Melbourne Apartment
ADAPT
Information
Contact
Location
Thornbury, Melbourne
Build
Topp Constructs
Photographer
Tom Ross
Thornbury, Melbourne
Build
Topp Constructs
Photographer
Tom Ross
Thornbury Eucalpyt House is a compact rear addition to a cottage in Melbourne’s north, composed around a towering Eucalyptus Leucoxylon whose presence in the garden is so mesmerising it’s hard to imagine a previous lean-to had ignored it entirely.
Where the old lean-to had a low ceiling and limited access to natural light, the lofty addition instead extends up and outwards, shading a glazed north-facing rear facade with deep eaves and awnings. Large glazed sliding doors topped by clerestory windows open to a slim timber deck, which doubles as a seat overlooking the rambling garden. This generous opening to the garden reconfigures family life around landscape, dappled light and seasonal changes.
The compact kitchen/dining/living room is cleverly zoned using inbuilt joinery and varied views and volumes. A low ceiling lends intimacy to a living zone delineated by an adaptable timber bench seat below a large picture window. This view also animates the office nook tucked into the hallway, and even introduces a verdant focal point from the home’s front entry.
Externally, an awning wraps around and cantilevers over the northern and western edge of the addition, providing shade. Lightweight timber construction by Topp Constucts is exquisitely expressed, particularly in the roof’s exposed rafters.
Where the old lean-to had a low ceiling and limited access to natural light, the lofty addition instead extends up and outwards, shading a glazed north-facing rear facade with deep eaves and awnings. Large glazed sliding doors topped by clerestory windows open to a slim timber deck, which doubles as a seat overlooking the rambling garden. This generous opening to the garden reconfigures family life around landscape, dappled light and seasonal changes.
The compact kitchen/dining/living room is cleverly zoned using inbuilt joinery and varied views and volumes. A low ceiling lends intimacy to a living zone delineated by an adaptable timber bench seat below a large picture window. This view also animates the office nook tucked into the hallway, and even introduces a verdant focal point from the home’s front entry.
Externally, an awning wraps around and cantilevers over the northern and western edge of the addition, providing shade. Lightweight timber construction by Topp Constucts is exquisitely expressed, particularly in the roof’s exposed rafters.