Two Wall House was designed as a sub-division of an 8.2 x 38m property. The site was purchased with an existing dilapidated terrace house 4.85m wide, with the intention of creating two properties. Unlocking the entire scheme was the idea to build the party wall 700mm into the retained façade.
At the front of the new home is a compact sitting room that doubles as a guest bedroom using a concealed drop-down bed within the joinery. Beyond the entry, the ceiling plane increases from 2.7 to 4 metres. An art wall with adjustable lighting track defines one side of the house while joinery fills the other, defining rooms and living zones. Two layers of skylights enable daylight to flood the space.
Upstairs under the over-scaled dormer window is one children’s bedroom. Then a large bathroom beside the stairs, and a second children’s room, both featuring built-in bedheads and storage/shelving.
The light-filled corridor ends with the main bedroom with wardrobe walls and a concealed ensuite. Downstairs, full height sliding doors open to the rear court yard to reveal the Crepe Myrtle tree and its seasonal play over a small plunge pool. The rear lane houses a garage and self-contained studio above, which looks back to the courtyard. The project was delivered for less than the cost of a city 2 bedroom apartment, and poses a long-term solution for city living.