Green Light Two architects pour their hearts and souls into their own sustainable home in Melbourne.

Finding the perfect site right under their noses meant these talented Melbourne architects could finally build their own sustainable home.

While fast becoming gentrified, pockets of Melbourne’s inner north retain traces of their industrial past. Workers’ cottages abound – typically weatherboard or red brick – and mostly on good-size blocks. In 2013, Tony Stuart and Polly Bastow, architects and furniture designers at Form Architecture Furniture, were well settled into a community they loved and longing to turn their talents to their own home. They had their eye on two parcels of land adjoining their residence and studio and when they became available, the couple had the green light to build a house from scratch.

Their plan was for a two-storey, three-bedroom dwelling that felt open yet cosy and inclusive for the family of three (their son Henry is 11). It also had to be beautiful, comfortable, low maintenance and environmentally responsible. Completed in 2016, Tony says the 220m2 home is “tough on the outside but soft inside”. Corrugated galvanisedsteel cladding and recycled brick make for a robust, easy-care exterior that references the industrial buildings nearby. Timber windows, a rapidly greening pergola and lush garden take the edge off.

The entry opens directly into the kitchen/dining/family room, bathed in light from sliding windows running the length of the north-facing space. In the dining zone, a banquette with built-in bookcase is a favourite perch for all members of the family. It’s a great spot to settle in for an afternoon of reading or relaxing in the filtered sun.

To the left of the entry is a study, a bathroom and second living area. The latter is often used for guests, who can access the fold-down bed housed in the bank of joinery. A sliding door cordons this wing off from the open-plan area when required, transforming it into a private retreat.

Upstairs are the other bedrooms and a family bathroom. “Since thereareonlythreeofus,wedecidedanensuitewasn’timportant,” says Tony. “Instead, we opted for a larger bathroom to share and a shower room downstairs, which is also for guest use.”

Henry requested a bunk bed for his room, located at the far end of the first floor. Instead of the usual bunks, however, Tony and Polly designed an end-to-end loft bed, creating room for a friend to stay while freeing up floor space. Beneath the bed, a sliding glass door leads to a private balcony; it’s enclosed by corrugated polycarbonate sheeting that gives it a lantern-like look from the outside. The balcony is filled with potted plants, providing another little oasis in the once-industrial landscape.

Internally, the home is a rich tapestry of materials: recycled timber, plywood, plastered brickwork, polished concrete and metal. “The walls in the living area are bagged with topcoat plaster,” says Tony. “Bagging gives a nice smooth finish with no sandy swirls. We like the partially exposed brick look; with this technique you can reveal as much or as little brick as you want.” Statement lighting and artworks add colour and character.

Tony and Polly took care to include sustainable features that also keep running costs low. As well as insulation in the walls and ceiling, double-glazing and a concrete floor with in-slab heating, the house has solar panels and a Trombe wall (a dark-coloured masonry structure fronted by a glass panel that traps radiant heat and slowly releases it inside). In addition, the family uses captured rainwater for the garden and in the toilets.

“As designers, it’s our responsibility to create housing that is both delightful and habitable well into the future,” says Tony. “In combination with passive solar design, the right balance of thermal mass and lightweight construction, energy-efficient and long-lasting appliances and so on can ensure a home is always comfortable. Size matters, too – the bigger the building, the more it costs financially and environmentally.” Form Architecture Furniture, Coburg, Victoria;

(03) 9383 1906 or formarchitecturefurniture.com.au.