DUAL OCCUPANCY & DUPLEX ARCHITECTS

The client's brief for this new dual occupancy project was to create a building that presented a cohesive and asymmetrical facade to the street, as a counterpoint to the typical "mirror image" dual occupancy design approach.

To bring natural light and ventilation into the full depth of each home, the homes were designed with split levels, high level windows and a central courtyard with a reflecting pool and feature dragon tree. The reflecting pools connect the formal living room to the TV room whilst still providing some separation and introducing subtle variety and natural elements with the reflections and colours off the water.

Each home was designed to be a "sanctuary", as you step into the walled courtyards, privacy is immediate. A generous double height void within the front entry provides visual connections to both the upper and lower levels of the interiors and a hardwood bridge spans across to access the master bedroom suite, offering views down to the living spaces on one side and the reflecting pool on the other.

Sleek and natural high quality finishes were used throughout. Acrylic render so that the risk of cracks was mitigated, hardwood silvertop ash (an australian hardwood), oiled and allowed to weather over time, Gaggenau appliances, suspended wood burning fireplaces, polished concrete, terrazzo tiles and a lap pool all work together to bring all the design features together.

Relic House is a dual residence designed to provide a source of income for the owners, who occupy one home and rent the other. 

Like all our dual occupancy projects, when we took on this project we were committed to creating two separate homes each unique in functionality and appearance. To help with this we created a series of north-south blade walls to create a cohesive yet distinct identity for each dwelling. This made them individual homes, while also ensuring their privacy. 

The overall design also incorporates passive solar principles with ‘winter rooms’ on the upper level to capture northern sunlight during cooler months. And cost-effective materials, like concrete bricks and rust-coloured weatherboards, blend both homes into the natural landscape while green vines soften the facade. 

Personalisation abounds as well – with one residence having a central courtyard as an additional outdoor space. Most importantly, the owners have a home they love and useful income as well.

The primary driving force in this duplex was to forego the standard “side-by-side” approach in favour of a “one-behind-the-other” approach. This approach allowed two unique residences that each boast generous north-facing courtyards and living areas that bask in the warmth of natural light and enjoy natural ventilation and cooling during summer. As a project, this dual occupancy allowed a healthy return on investment (ROI) for the owners, funding the entire build.

Tucked into the urban landscape of suburbia, the homes have a rustic “bush” feel; and are a blend of Australian heritage and modern sustainable living. Materials and finishes were chosen that had a raw and robust aesthetic such as wire brushed timber flooring, hardwood timber screening, structural steel frames and corrugated steel cladding. The native landscaping, designed to be like a slice of bushland contrasts starkly (and intentionally) with the neighbouring ‘manicured’ lawns and gardens.

This project sought to bring passive solar design principles to a dual occupancy project, a building typology, often designed without regard for the quality of natural light and ventilation due to the challenges of fitting two homes side by side on a single block. Here, the hurdle was overcome by doing away with the mirror image floor plan and allowing the Southern home to extend further down the block than the other. A combination of high level windows and a highly articulated floor plan allowed the home on the Southern side of the block to receive as much sunlight as the one on the Northern side. Small courtyards were cut into the floorplan to bring the gardens right into the depths of each home. Natural materials and dynamic cathedral roofs create a quality of interior space that is not common in dual occupancies.