Terrace House in Melbourne Embraces Sustainable Architecture

Ben Callery Architects completed the rehabilitation of a terrace house in Melbourne, Australia. The old heritage building on the site was dark, narrow and overshadowed by neighboring walls. In response, the contemporary Beyond House has an open layout that addresses the inhabitants’ need for connection.

“The owners are serious about sustainability and wanted the new addition to be naturally comfortable, using sun for heating, breezes for cooling, water harvesting, solar power, recycled materials (even re-using the old kitchen),” the architects said. “We looked beyond the site constraints and beyond the typical spatial boundaries within a terrace house’s rooms and levels.”
The new design ensures an optimum indoor-outdoor connection, thanks to an array of carefully placed windows. All rooms have floor to ceiling glass doors to capture the views.

“Through the insertion of a central void, adjacent to a multi-purpose studio space, opening onto a roof deck, the occupants engage with the outdoors – the sun, the sky and trees,” the architects added. These elements also break down the social barriers typically associated with a terrace house and encourage interaction between the inhabitants. Photography courtesy of Ben Callery Architects.