Sitting in an historic Fitzroy North neighbourhood is House in House by Steffen Welsch Architects. Inside and out, it's a surprising alternative to its dark row house neighbours.
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"House in House is a new build in a streetscape with significant heritage value. Our idea was that the home be an 'uneasy fit' within the street, creating a dialogue, an ongoing easy tension, with its predominantly federation style neighbours." — Steffen Welsh Architects
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Array of Small Houses
The key design decision was to develop the house as an array of small houses that are held together by a central circulation spine, similar to a row of houses on both sides of a street. House in House contains five distinct internal pavilions or houses and three courtyards or voids.
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Pavilions
Each of the pavilions or houses has discrete functions, and each individual house is linked through a main axis, doubling as both circulation spine and gallery for the couple’s extensive art collection.
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Courtyards
The courtyards punctuate the pavilions, drawing in natural light and ventilation. The largest courtyard frames the limits of the block and is for outdoor entertaining under a pergola. The smaller courtyards feature lush plantings, a retreat for one or two.
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