Harry House in Coburg, Melbourne by Archier.

Archier’s Harry House in Melbourne’s Coburg strikes the perfect balance between playfulness and sophistication, creating a home that moulded to suit the life of a growing family.

The flexible framework is built to continually remould itself around the occupant’s changing needs. Architects describe their project as “proof that efficiency can be generous and joyful”, with clever spatial usage becoming the focus of this extension. The resulting home is a physical reflection of their client’s lives, designed to anticipate and support their changing needs over time.

The project involved extending a classic suburban weatherboard house, creating a new home that embodied the client’s Japanese heritage. As described by Archier, the project “started with good bones and a backyard full of concrete”. Inspired by their time living in Japan, the clients wished for an extension that was efficient and humble in its size, explaining they “didn’t want to just add extra space just for the sake of it.”

Archier took their time analysing how the family interacted with their original home, using this information to design a space that was both highly practical as well as beautiful. “Rather than a plasterboard box full of functional spaces, the client commanded pragmatic poetry, giving new rhythm to the family,” explains the team.

Communal living spaces are light-filled and airy, blending seamlessly with the lush gardens that surrounds the glass-clad façade. The garden breaks its boundaries and extends into living spaces, weaving its colourful thread throughout the home. The addition is clad in charred blackened timber and sits hidden behind the existing building, bringing a contemporary element to the traditional, weatherboard facade.

A house now accommodates three bedrooms for the children, a communal kitchen-dining space, living area, and a master bedroom on the upper level. Architects explain the dramatic impact a simple intervention in the kitchen had on the project, stating – “stepping the floor level down reduces the visual impact of the island bench in the dining space. This allowed for a greater sense of social connection between zones, with even the youngest child having the ability to peer over the bench to see what’s going on.” The living area is humble in size, yet feels welcoming and spacious due to floor to ceiling glazed panels, with the timber ceiling bringing a sense of warmth.

A sense of play is interwoven throughout the home. Suspended net hammocks fill in the voids creating a play area for the children while maintaining visual connection across levels. Double-height voids deliver connections between floors while maintaining moments of sanctuary, something that is much needed in the master bedroom.

Related: Sawmill House by Archier in Yackandandah, Regional Victoria.

[Images courtesy of Archier. Photography by Peter Bennetts. Styling by Miranda Louey.]