The owners of BENT Pavilion felt it was time to down-size, but were adamant that downsizing shouldn't mean down-grading (and we whole-heartedly agreed)! At home in Balwyn North and wanting to remain close to friends and family, they hatched a plan to keep their parents close by and continue to enjoy the space and lifestyle they love by joining forces to build a home ... together.
Far from moving back in with the olds or building a granny flat out back, this multi-generational development is designed to give everyone the privacy and autonomy they need. North Balwyn Multi-Gen Housing follows the traditional suburban subdivision with a home at the front and one at the back of the block. Of course a subdivision is still possible in the future, making it a cinch if they ever decide to sell either or both homes.
North Balwyn Multi-Gen Housing is a model for living in Australian suburbs which isn't a radical departure from what we're already doing, except that the dwellings showcase excellence in environmentally sustainable design, are specifically designed for low-cost living. Moreover, this family has become the developer in order to consolidate its assets (in this case land, architectural fees and construction costs) to ensure best value for money and built-in flexibility for multi-generational living and ageing in place.
Here, our clients were a couple with their teenage sons who wished to live at the rear of the site, and their parents who wished to build a dwelling at the front of the site. Both dwellings share an external material palette and passive solar design principles which guarantee natural light and ventilation to the internal living areas. However, the interior of each dwelling reflects the taste and needs of the inhabitants – which are distinctly different to each other.
In the front dwelling, the eldest generation is provided with essentials for day-to-day living on the ground floor (kitchen, living, laundry, master bedroom), with lift access provided to two additional bedrooms and secondary living space on the first floor. Here, LHA principles for accessible living are adhered to in recognition of possible future needs.
The rear dwelling is a larger family home (3 bedrooms plus study), with two compact living areas. Here, the expressive potential of the materials used really come into play. The structural floor slab is seeded with recycled glass and polished to add the character and warmth you’d ordinarily achieve from a more costly pre-mixed concrete. The recycled brickwork from the exterior or both dwellings is expressed internally (including on the floor), and re-milled recycled timber takes pride of place.
These houses are both exemplars of environmentally sustainable design, not just in terms of passive solar design (which make the houses feel great), but also in terms of their measurable performance. Both dwellings have increased levels of insulation, and additional seals have been installed to all windows and doors to limit draughts and maximise thermal performance. Likewise, light fittings throughout are surface mounted to minimise ceiling penetrations. Both dwellings are afforded significant solar arrays (12KW for Unit 1 and 16kW for Unit 2) with batteries. There are also provisions for electric vehicles in the garages. And 17000L water tanks service the gardens.
Our clients are delighted with their new homes!
