Cart 
On the hunt for the right family home in Melbourne a few years ago, Tan Architecture principal Jos Tan and his partner were ‘dismayed’ by the poor quality of housing within their price range.
‘The typical trajectory for a family in our position is to buy an older house that is not particularly energy efficient, and doesn’t quite fulfil the family’s needs, and then hope to renovate at a later stage, incurring further expense and disruption,’ Jos says.
He was hopeful there could be a better option. Then, the architect came across a vacant 90-square-metre block in Brunswick West that had looked like it had been previously sub-divided from the shopfront next door.
‘When we found this slightly awkward parcel of land, we realised that it might be possible to build a comfortable house that fulfils our needs from the get-go, and for less money than it would otherwise cost to buy and renovate,’ he adds.
‘I did a feasibility assessment and preliminary design work before the purchase, and that informed our decision to buy the block.’
The concept was to provide a variety of small-yet-functional spaces, rather than creating larger and fewer rooms.
To mitigate any noise from the busy inner-city road and tram line in front of the site, brick was selected for the external walls, while careful spatial planning placed private areas like the bedrooms towards the rear for a more secluded feel away from the street.
Jos also originally planned for the home to be two floors, but as the building zone allowed for extra height, he extended the house to three storeys to make better use of the site.
Building upwards ultimately freed up 36 square metres on the ground floor, which is now dedicated to a peaceful garden facing the living room, in addition to creating a 26-square-metre rooftop deck on the top floor.
The compact scale of the rooms is offset by tall ceiling heights, making every space ‘feel much more generous’ than the dimensions might imply.
‘We have two living areas, three bedrooms, a study, two bathrooms, a powder room, a laundry, a linen store, a bike garage, and a surprising amount of storage,’ Jos says.
The bike garage is another clever addition tailored to Jos’ family, who decided to forgo a car space after obtaining a street parking permit from the council.
‘I can’t think of any house I used to live in where bicycle storage did not have to be improvised. Cycling is by far the dominant mode of transport within the household, and here was a chance to weave in a working solution for bike use and storage,’ he adds.
‘I recalled a visit to Amsterdam, where it is not unusual to enter houses directly from the footpath, in contrast with the mandatory front setbacks commonly found in Melbourne, often containing carports or garages.’
Next to the main entrance, a utilitarian steel door opens directly to a storage space, allowing the residents to effortlessly wheel their bicycles in straight off the footpath.
Now, the highly functional house everything Jos and his growing family needs for their next chapter. It’s small but mighty, offering a truly personal sanctuary amidst its urban backdrop.
Want to see more from The Design Files? Sign up to our newsletter for your weekly dose of home and design inspiration here!
