Oban House by AGUSHI

AGUSHI Builders and Workroom Design have collaborated to complete an inner city house in

South Yarra, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia.

Project description

The client’s brief was to provide a low maintenance contemporary home that utilizes a natural and organic material pallet whilst having a slightly industrial, yet warm feel.

The house accommodates 2 living zones, study, kitchen with butler’s pantry, 4 bedrooms with 3 bathrooms and a separate upstairs living zone. The two levels of the house are accessed by a lift and the house offers a rarity for South Yarra being a generous 2 car off street garage. Outside is an 8 metre pool and north east facing garden, tiled alfresco area for outfoor entertainment and discreet plant and equipment area. The house is orientated around a central courtyard providing northern light into the two living areas and a smaller north courtyard filles the study with a bright landscaped outlook.

Externally the house is largely rendered in a Roman finished render offering a crazed patina look and has a kind of fortress appeal with only one front facing window which is covered by operable louvred screen to protect the bedroom from the harsh afternoon sun. The lower section of the house is largely comprised of floor to ceiling windows and black Zinc cladding conceals the garage.

Internally natural and blackened American Oak is abundant in the joinery and wall paneling whilst European oak and travertine dominate the floor finishes. An Oak battened ceiling gives the dining and alfresco areas a distinct sense of separation from the open plan design. Off form concrete walls and structural columns, and oxidized steel cladding in bathrooms give an industrial touch with Calacutta marble offsetting this industrial feel with a lux enhancement.

Positioned on only 480m2 of land, this house at 370m2 of living and garage offer a highly unique experience for inner city Melbourne living. The spaces are large without feeling cavernous and the abundant use of glazing brings so much natural light into the home that ones feels like they are outside as much as they are inside.

Architecture: AGUSHI and David Watson Architect

Interiors: AGUSHI and Workroom Design