Emilio from Nest Architects waters his Florence Street House green roof in suburban Melbourne (via Lunchbox Architect)

Urban Homes

Florence Street House by Nest Architects

Urban homes come with a lot of constraints. Tight sites, neighboring houses, heritage controls and planning regulations affect how urban homes are designed. Obviously constraints breed innovation because architecturally designed urban homes are some of the most innovative and interesting houses around. At Lunchbox Architect we pride ourselves on sourcing the best examples of small urban homes. We argue that homes don't have to be huge to great. In fact, small urban homes are easier to maintain, cheaper to run and, when designed right, a joy to live in.

Urban homes come with a lot of constraints. Tight sites, neighboring houses, heritage controls and planning regulations affect how urban homes are designed. Obviously constraints breed innovation because architecturally designed urban homes are some of the most innovative and interesting houses around.

At Lunchbox Architect we pride ourselves on sourcing the best examples of small urban homes. We argue that homes don't have to be huge to great. In fact, small urban homes are easier to maintain, cheaper to run and, when designed right, a joy to live in.

Block out the hustle and bustle by concentrating on these top-quality urban homes we've featured on Lunchbox Architect:

Collection Terrace Renovation Full of character but dark and stuck with a long, narrow block, terrace renovations are a challenge, but the outcomes can be incredible.

Ripple House by FMD Architects

Featured Project A Series of New Spaces Unfurl From Single-fronted Victorian Cottage Far from the classic box-like addition, a series of unique spaces unfurl from the rear of the cottage, opening up to light and garden.

Surry Hills Terrace by CO-AP

Featured Project Terrace Transformed Without Extending the Footprint of the Home A series of expert moves brings in more light, improves livability and connects this terrace to its courtyard all without extending.

GER/ by PLY Architecture

Featured Project Clever Design Brings Light Into the Heart of this Bungalow Bungalows are charming homes, but they tend to be dark. This addition finds a way to bring light into the depths of this bungalow.

Longueville House by Vanessa Wegner Architect

Featured Project A Modern Take on the Verandah Creates a Connection to the Garden The front verandah of this Californian Bungalow is reinterpreted at the rear of the home to create a shady outdoor living space.

Pop Up House by Fabric Architecture

Featured Project 1970s-era Red Brick Home Completely Transformed by Modern Renovation Not that you'd know it now, but this sleek, modern-Japanese-inspired home was once a tired '70s brick pad and what a transformation!

Flinders Addition by Michael McManus Architects

Featured Project Charred Timber Creates a New BAL-12.5 Wing for This Country Home To create space for the kids as they grow, this new bedroom wing sits beautifully in the landscape and meets BAL requirements.

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Brighton East House by Ansari Architects

Featured Project A Quirky Fireplace Becomes the Focal Point of This Modern Renovation The owners would have ripped this out-of-place fireplace out if they'd had their way, but it's become the centrepiece of this reno...

Little Maggie by ROAM Architects

Featured Project Little Maggie: The Perfect Sunny Addition to this Weatherboard Cottage Creating a light-filled addition where the garden and outdoor spaces feel like an extension of the living areas for year-round use.

Stepping House by Rob Henry Architects

Featured Project A Mid Century-inspired Home Designed to Work Well With the Landscape On a tricky, but naturally beautiful battle-axe site, this home celebrates its assets and minimises its drawbacks.

U House by C.Kairouz Architects

Featured Project Is a Light-filled House With a South-facing Backyard Possible? Creative ways to bring more light into the home, even when the backyard doesn't get much sun, makes this home light-filled and airy.

Moorooka House by Maytree Studios

Featured Project 1970s Home Transformed by a Charred Timber Addition The charred timber addition float in front of the home, complementing the original cream brick and transforming the street appeal.

Art House by SG2 Design

Featured Project A Forever Home Designed to Showcase Art and Furniture Collection This Carlton terrace renovation updates ageing interiors to create the perfect home for a collector of colourful art and furniture.

CrossCut House by Bijl Architecture

Featured Project Sometimes Your Home Might Already Have Enough Space... The amount of space you have is one thing, but its functionality, light and flow is a whole other thing.

Woollahra Treehouse by Bones Studio

Featured Project A Stunning Self-contained Studio Perched Among the Trees Sitting on top of the garage with leafy views, the new self-contained living space is perfect for adult children or visiting family.

Robinson Road House by Chan Architecture

Featured Project New England-style Home Needed an Addition to Complement Not Copy An addition to this period home sits comfortably alongside the original, oriented to catch the light and open up the backyard.

Enter the Light by Hobbs Jamieson Architecture

Featured Project Enter the Light: A New Home Designed to Maximise Winter Sun Access to natural light is so important, yet often overlooked. With thoughtful design, your home can be light and bright year-round.

St Kilda Home by Modscape

Featured Project This Inner-city Modular Home Has a Few Tricks up Its Sleeves! It's not what you expect when you think of a modular home, but this tricky house continues the surprises continue inside...

Brunswick Green by Drawing Room Architecture

Featured Project Architect Creates a Spacious Light-filled Home Against the Odds Despite a seemingly impossible set of constraints, this terrace has been transformed into a light-filled and sustainable family home.

Ainslie Cottage by buck&simple

Featured Project Government-built Home Lovingly Transformed Into a Mid-century Gem The renovation of this post-war house leans on mid-century details and views of the native landscape to create a special home.

East Fremantle House by Nic Brunsdon

Featured Project The Most Important Part of This House Is the Space That Is Not Built A generous north-facing courtyard becomes the best part of this house, bringing light, breezes and the outdoors into every space.

Munro by Lisa Cummins Architect

Featured Project Historic Chimney Stacks Inspires Incredible Double-height Space... Chimneys of the old brickworks immediately caught the architect's attention and she knew this renovation needed to capture that view!

Malvern East Bachelor Pad by Eliza Blair Architecture

Featured Project Bachelor Pad Reno Finds Unique Way to Create a Better Home for Owner Transforming a 1960s apricot-brick unit into the perfect bachelor pad meant rethinking the space and adapting what was already there...

Black Ribbon House by Studio 15b

Featured Project Queenslander Renovation Creates a Home to Enjoy for Years to Come Rather than relocate, this family decided on a Queenslander renovation to create the home of their dreams in the street they love.

Waratah Secondary House by anthrosite

Featured Project A Compact, Efficient Home Barely Bigger than a Typical Backyard Shed This studio was designed to minimise costs by maximising efficiency, creating a flexible space that was largely prefabricated off-site.

Gold Street Residence by Sarah Kahn Architect

Featured Project A Clever Addition Turns a Potentially Problematic Site Into Gold Others overlooked this heritage-listed home because of its exposure on three sides, but a playful addition turns it into an asset.

Wild House by Jon Lowe Architect

Featured Project Inner-city Maisonette Transformed Thanks to New Living Space A new 60 square metre addition creates a bright and modern living space for this inner-city home.

Step Down House by Bijl Architecture

Featured Project Step Down Into This New Airy Pavilion Which Spills Into the Backyard Perfect for entertaining, this new living pavilion at the back of a 1910s home is light, airy and open to the backyard.

NTH/ by PLY Architecture

Featured Project Addition Expands This Home in Search of Light and Access to the Yard An addition which doesn't overshadow the original heritage house, but improves the home's spaciousness, access to light and the yard.

Deco House by Mihaly Slocombe

Featured Project Love Art Deco? Here's a Take on It That's Perfect for Modern Living If you love the curved lines and detailing of the Art Deco period, but crave open spaces and natural light, this home is for you...

Milkman's Cottage by Preston Lane Architects

Featured Project Tiny Heritage Cottage Transformed into Surprisingly Spacious Home Once home to the local milkman, this quaint cottage has been transformed into a light and bright home with a surprising sense of space.

Scott by Foomann Architects

Featured Project 'Box in the Back' Creates an Elegant and Cost-effective Home Addition A simple, rectangular, double-storey addition was a cost-effective way to gain the space this family needed. Plus some indulgences...

18 January 2021

Article How to put an offer on a property to suit different selling methods Purchasing a property can be a daunting undertaking. But putting in an offer doesn't need to be. Here's how to put in an offer once you've found the home you want...

18 January 2021

Empress House by YSC Architects

Featured Project Like a Jewellery Box, This Home Is Perfect for Your Precious Family This home, inspired by a jewellery box, is perfect for your most treasured people and possessions: beautiful, safe and ordered.

SKY/ by PLY Architecture

Featured Project A Modern Home Filled with Character, Sun, Air and Sky Views Modern homes can be criticised for lacking character, but modern doesn't need to equal sterile.

27 November 2020

Article Introducing Architopia: beautiful house designs you can purchase for a simple flat fee Not everyone needs a completely custom-designed home. Now you can access high-quality architectural house designs for a flat fee.

Shadow Roll House by Megowan Architectural

Featured Project An Incredible Addition Tucked Behind a Heritage Protected Cottage From the street, all you can see is a sliver of the stunning new addition, designed to protect the heritage value of the original home.

Paddo Terrace by Sandbox Studio Architecture & Design

Featured Project Light and Bright Addition Turns This Tiny Terrace Into Spacious Home At 52 square metres, this two-storey terrace was about the same size as a two-bedroom apartment, now there's space to entertain guests.

Mass and Void by Sparks Architects

Featured Project This Home Stands Out in Its Housing Estate for All the Right Reasons Even a block in a typical housing estate can benefit from an architect's touch, creating a home that's a joy to live in year-round...

Knocklofty by Preston Lane Architects

Featured Project Voids, Volume and Views. This Warehouse-inspired Home Has It All… Transforming a 1980s house into a warehouse loft-inspired home involved removing the roof but the results are more than worth it!

Paperback House by Ben Callery Architects

Featured Project Home for Two Publishers and Family Makes a Hero Out of the Bookshelf Every good architectural story needs a hero. In this renovation, it's a striking bookshelf which screens a work-from-home space...

Featured Project South Facing Backyard? You Can Still Enjoy Passive Solar Design... This addition to a post-war brick home has a trick up its sleeve to guarantee access to sunlight despite the backyard facing south.

Glebe House by Supercontext

Featured Project Addition on a Narrow Four Metre-wide Site Defies Its Constraints Defying its narrow site, challenging east-west orientation and heritage restrictions, this skinny home manages to feel spacious.

Balgowlah Residence by

Featured Project Transforming a Californian Bungalow Into the Perfect Family Home A west-facing backyard and poorly-designed additions left this family with dark mornings and overheated afternoons, but no longer...

Brick Residence by Preston Lane Architects

Featured Project Renovating a House That Has Been in the Family for Almost 70 Years… Imagine having a classic modernist house in the family for three generations? How would you sensitively renovate it?

Back Box House by OOF! Architects

Featured Project A Staged Reno Over 10 Years Helps This Home Change With Its Family Staging the renovation of this home into two phases made budgetary sense and allows the home to adapt to the family's changing needs.

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