Scandinavian Townhouse

The very thread that weaves together our life experiences, our personal taste palette and the specific aesthetics we are drawn to are the foundations for some of the best design concepts.

This concept stands true with this project. By amalgamating nuances found through the client's life narrative chapters, we were able to piece together a home that spoke to their unique tale. Hailing previously from Denmark, the client was seeking an architectural sensibility that paid homage to his roots.

Based in the new land estate of Cockburn, each site had a 6m wide lot to promote terrace-style living, that offers central access from the primary street, and garage parking via the rear laneway.

Inspired by the traditional Scandinavian architectural vernacular, we looked closely into various design elements, such as curved steel windows, steeply pitched gable roofs, exposed timber beams and hanging planter boxes. We adopted these elements and further expressed them with a robust materiality palette in a more contemporary manner.

Furthermore, the paired back tonality gives a warm and inviting feel, enhancing the harmony with the architectural form. This minimalist approach aids in allowing the space to feel open, bright and more prominent.

The focal point of the client's brief centred around the living requirements of a single individual, adopting the apartment lifestyle within a suburban context. To reduce the narrowness of the overall building envelope, we introduced a double-height void area to the main living areas, for greater volume and to allow for natural diffused light to enter.

Another technique that we used to enhance the rear yard of the site was to integrate a sunken courtyard. This makes the area feel bigger and provides an extra layer of privacy from the neighbouring sites. The rear garage wall served as a double mounting point for the hanging lights and projector screen allowing guests to sit in the courtyard and watch their favourite movies.