Little Graham St, Albert Park

Our clients bought this 47 sqm site at a highly contested Auction in Albert Park in 2020, which received extensive media coverage. They bought the site after consulting with us about the feasibility of building a new residential property there. It was previously a garage that was used for storage by a local plumber.

Situated in a heritage overlay of the City of Port Phillip, the design makes the most out of the micro-site whilst creating a sense of space and light. Council approval was obtained to design a two-story townhouse with two bedrooms, one and half bathrooms, kitchen, open plan living and a roof terrace.

The structure features textured precast walls, hardwood batten screen interior and sustainable design features. The cantilevered concrete stair provides a dramatic link between the different levels. The design references existing architecture in the street, whilst incorporating subtle textural materials to maximise the sense of space on the small site.

Some of the sustainability features for this project include the design of a compact, full residence on this micro site, avoiding excessive embodied energy by reducing the development area, reducing the need for extra space by ensuring that living spaces are flexible, rainwater tank for toilets and garden use, use of recycled timber batten screens, maximising insulation values of the building to reduce energy requirements and a rooftop terrace for green space, freeing up the site for habitable areas.