Small packages
Compact living that has massive benefits
Downsizing is usually the province of empty-nesters, but with two pre-teen daughters, Melbourne couple Mark and Simone have bucked the trend, embracing a more compact home in the prime of their family life. With the girls’ high school years on the horizon, the family were keen to move closer to their chosen schools, even if it meant relocating to a smaller urban block. But beyond practical considerations, Mark and Simone had also taken a liking to a small suburb in north Melbourne. “We have relatives living here and every time we visited, we fell in love with it,” says Mark. “It’s a really vibrant area with a lot of activity by the river. We desired that for our family and it was a major drawcard.” A residential builder with an appreciation for smart design, Mark was also keen to snag a knock-down property and make his own mark on the urban landscape. They found the perfect prospect in a retro (but not in a good way) weatherboard; riddled with asbestos and with an awkward layout, the home was ripe for demolition over renovation. The couple had used Gold Coast-based Jamison Architects – family friends and long-standing business associates – to design their previous home, and were excited to collaborate with them again, commissioning Mark and Angela Jamison to design a duplex for the generous block, half of which would become the family home. The couple’s brief had two main requirements: storage and light. “Storage was a huge factor, because we were downsizing,” explains Simone. “Even though we were wanting to live minimally, you can’t help holding onto things to some extent!” The second demand was for plenty of natural light and airflow. “We didn’t want to be living in a dark townhouse,” says Mark. Architect Mark Jamison began the design process by getting up on the roof of the old house and identifying where neighbours overlooked the property or might, in turn, be impacted by the new building. The solution was flipping the standard duplex layout to put the hallway on the exterior glasslined wall of the house, and dedicating the common wall side to service spaces like the garage and powder room. Landscaping aids in maintaining privacy, while bathing the interiors in leafy shadows. Whether it’s the easy way every need is catered for – from a nook for the car keys to a seat to pop on shoes – or the way the home opens up to welcome the crowds that the family loves to invite over for barbecues, this smaller home punches well above its weight. “I don’t feel as though I’m in a townhouse at all,” says Simone.