Image Credit : Externals by Rory Gardiner, internals by Lillie Thompson.
Project Overview
Fenwick House is a large house that forms part of the Fenwick development.
Originally designed as two townhouses, the buyer chose to instead buy both dwellings and customise the entire footprint as a single bespoke family home.
The purchaser was able to bypass all of the usual planning and construction heartache that would occur elsewhere if they had decided to buy a block of land and build their own house.
The purchaser also engaged Simone Haag for furniture, soft furnishing and styling of their new home as an added layer to the Edition Office architecture, Flack Studio interiors and Eckersley Garden Architecture for landscape. ANGLE managed all of these consultants in a fast-tracked timeframe and delivered the project with COBEN during the peak of COVID lockdowns.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
ANGLE
COBEN
Edition Office
Flack Studio
Eckersley Garden Architecture
Simone Haag
Project Brief
The purchaser of this dwelling is a family with older children in their last few years of living at home. Due to their lifestyle and work commitments out of Melbourne, they wanted a lock and leave residence like an apartment but at the same time needed space to accommodate their family, zones to entertain as well as individual spaces.
When we first met them we presented the marketing plans for the two townhouses and also the largest remaining apartment in the project being the penthouse. While the penthouse had incredible views, the purchaser opted to combine the two townhouses as it provided a larger area over multiple floors.
The purchaser provided a clear brief on what they wanted; the living area made sense to be on the top floor (as per the original townhouse design); the parents wanted their own individual level; another distinct level for the children; and the remaining basement area was to be for car parking and more back of house functions such as the laundry, cellar and gym.
Project Innovation/Need
At the time we went to market, we knew we were already pushing the boundaries for the typical townhouse typology in Kew with four level townhouses and only two storeys above ground level. This type of product is more commonly seen in inner city Melbourne and not in Kew.
Upon conversion to the amalgamated family residence, this became an even more innovative and unique product with almost 500 sqm of internal area and bespoke terrace spaces. Having the four floors meant that the dwelling could be properly segmented into the zones required for this family. Eventually, when the children move out of home, the parents can live out of the top two floors and not be overwhelmed by the space.
With land prices continuing to skyrocket, we believe that multi-residential developments will continue to evolve to include product like this that include significant area below ground, which helps maximise site efficiency and reduce the building mass from the street. Similarly, we feel that there is a need for off-the-plan projects to accommodate a wider demographic, including families looking for a lock and leave, brand new dwelling.
Design Challenge
The design challenge for the project was accommodating this level of customisation so late in the development timeline. At the time of sale, we were about to demolish the display and construction documentation was well-advanced.
The project team had to pivot and move quickly to fully design the house in a condensed period of a few months, rather than a normal more elongated timeline. To make matters more complicated, the purchaser had engaged Simone Haag for furniture, soft furnishing and styling of their new home. As a result, we had to work in parallel with Simone to ensure her design could be accommodated - light fittings, major furniture pieces, wallpaper, carpet and so on.
Similarly, we needed to expedite the costing and procurement process in relation to the customised items, particularly given many were bespoke, either handmade or from overseas. ANGLE had to work particularly closely with the project builder COBEN in that regard.
Sustainability
The house adopts a number of important sustainability initiatives, including:
1. High-quality energy-efficient appliances and hardware: The standard inclusion of the highest quality appliances and fittings, including Gaggenau and Brodware, ensure longevity and resource efficiency.
2. Durable architectural materials: The predominant architectural elements of concrete and copper give permanence and longevity to the building, ensuring the sustainability of the development across its full life cycle.
3. Cross-flow natural ventilation: The house has natural cross ventilation from windows on opposite or adjoining facades.
4. Generous outdoor areas: Large outdoor terraces designed to facilitate meaningful year-round use of the spaces and access to fresh air and sunlight, with GPOs and taps provided.
5. Biophilic and heavily landscaped design: The fundamental integration of landscape design and planting into the surrounding ground floor areas and terraces planters, as well as the architectural concept itself.
6. Rainwater harvesting and reuse: capture and reuse of rainwater to underground storage, with redirection and reuse by the WC’s of all residences.
Architecture - Residential - Constructed
This award celebrates the design process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, and aesthetic considerations. Consideration given for material selection, technology, light and shadow.
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