By Andrew Child Architect
A robust and efficient little building designed to take advantage of the rear street frontage of a property in Fitzroy and provide future flexibility for the family in the main house.
The main downstairs space is a garage designed and soundproofed to allow easy conversion to a music studio or ground level workspace adjacent the rear courtyard of the house. The upstairs space is able to augment the main house or be “locked off” to become an independent tenancy with separate rear street access.
The unusual property has a strip of land, previously a privately created ad-hoc laneway, along the entire length of its southern boundary. This new rear building straddles this forgotten intersection: a two storey white brick portion housing the main spaces on the northern corner, with a single storey portion with black timber weatherboards containing the service spaces on the now defunct laneway. The now erased intersection between the rear street and defunct laneway is also remembered with a gesture in the new building – a deliberately overscaled corner protruding window for the upper level tenancy – providing unusually expansive views over the rooftops to the east and over the roof of the heritage protected cottage to the south.
Andrew specialises in architectural, interior design and landscape design services for new homes and residential alterations + additions.
His clients appreciate homes that are well crafted, robust, practical and environmentally sustainable.
His clients also typically love where they live, so value homes which are designed to enhance their local area, without overpowering it.
Within his clients’ homes Andrew looks to create spaces which are simple, functional and delightful but, most importantly support and elevate the lives of the people who live in them.
With a particular interest in projects that come with complex briefs, difficult sites or restrictive planning and heritage controls, Andrew is able to distil these issues into homes that have a sense of ease and clarity that belies their complexity.
Andrew’s approach throughout each project is calm, meticulous and collaborative. He takes the time to understand his clients wants and needs, and to provide them with considered design options so they can make informed choices and feel confident that their home is most customised for how they wish to live.
As an experienced sole practitioner, Andrew personally focusses on all aspects of his projects from beginning to end, which assures his busy clients that the process of designing and constructing their new home is being managed professionally and smoothly.