Australian architect Andrew Maynard has transformed a tiny Victorian Rowhouse in Melbourne into a dazzling modern day apartment.
Measuring a mere 15-feet-wide, the Moor House was divided into three staggered boxes, resulting in a sculptural look. The aging white facade at the front of the house was retained while the back was removed and turned into a solar-paneled area.
The boxes were stacked with one on the bottom floor and two on top which housed the bedrooms. This created a light well in the center of the house, allowing it to illuminate the rooms from three sides instead of two. Maynard said, “The eaves allow sunlight to flood the internal space in winter (as the sun is low), while excluding the sun completely in summer (when the sun is high), which allows for passive solar gain.”
To conserve space, Maynard created banquettes and a built-in desk, while a steel-framed sliding glass wall merges the kitchen with the timber deck, converting it into an outdoor area. During winter, the thermal mass of the kitchen’s concrete floor traps heat and slowly releases it throughout. It works the opposite way in summer, ensuring the floor remains cool.
Apart from breathing new life into an old, cramped house, Maynard’s design is a glimpse of the architectural wonders that can be created with small spaces, and may one day be the way forward for tiny apartments all over the world.
[via Fast Company, images via Andrew Maynard Architects]