Designed by Gestalten Architects

An unusual ‘sunken courtyard’ house has been completed by Swiss-Australian studio architecture GESTALTEN. The house is located in Elsternwick, an inner city suburb of Melbourne. The double story building -- with one level sunken below the ground -- was erected on a tiny site of 10 x 15 meters. It only rises one story above ground level to fit in with planning controls in the otherwise low-lying neighborhood.

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Sunken Courtyard

Given the local council’s extensive town planning regulations, the brief, and the site circumstances, the architect’s idea is based on the unusual kind of sunken courtyard, a below ground construction originally developed in China and closely related to the tradition of ancient cave dwellings of four thousand years ago.

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Letting in Light

In the new house, every room, with windows from floor to ceiling, faces the sunken courtyard, a bold creation that connects space and brings light into the home.

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"The contemporary building is integrated into the surroundings, moving between preservation and re-formation by respecting the existing settings and built forms. Structure, form and materialization are in a reciprocal dialogue between context and architectural object"

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Living in a Small Space

Maintaining a balance of durability, utility and aesthetic, the new house provides appropriate living in a small space. The ground floor is designed as an open floor plan combining the function of cooking and dining with living, the below ground level contains bedrooms, en-suite, laundry and bathroom.

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Nature and Architecture

The sunken courtyard is conceived as another room where the amalgamation of external and internal space creates a unique room atmosphere, enabling interaction with nature and architecture.

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Exceptional Architectural Response

We know that council planning regulations can be restrictive. Sometimes limiting creativity. But when a project like this comes along you realize there's no excuses. Even very restrictive planning controls can lead to exceptional, unique architectural responses.

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