Out Backwards—Small Infill Development in Melbourne

At the southern edge of Melbourne’s Edinburgh Gardens, within an evolving section of Alfred Crescent, the street that borders it, sits Parkside by Austin Maynard Architects. The project elegantly nestles into the heritage setting and comprises a compact series of spaces that look northward over the parklands. It is a house that demonstrates the potential of small infill developments to create much-needed density without impacting the beautiful character of an area.

Across from the Parkside site was previously an industrial precinct that has been refurbished as pristine parkland in recent decades. Because of this history, the existing site fronted away from the park with a long rear yard and garage that largely ignored the aspect on to Edinburgh Gardens. The property has been subdivided roughly in half. The existing house has been retained on the southern portion and is now rented out to ensure the owners did not over-capitalise on the full property. The new build is positioned on the northern portion, which was previously the backyard, invigorating the site’s connection with Alfred Crescent.

Austin Maynard Architects are renowned for their playful designs and crisp detailing that extracts the maximum potential from their projects. Frequently appearing in their work is the spiral staircase by Enzie, a company founded by Bryan Mackenzie who, along with wife Marija Patterson, are the owners of Parkside. After many years of seeing the Enzie stairs feature in Austin Maynard Architects projects, it was a natural fit to engage their services to design their own home. The skills with detail are evident as the compact site is filled with a crafted layout of highly functional spaces that frame the park beyond, an approach that was encapsulated as “smaller, but better” by project architect, Ray Dinh.

The project’s position on the edge of a popular park makes for a prominent façade that also needed to synthesis the balance of a new form in a heritage context. The street elevation comprises of a steel-framed screen that presents as a rigid series of solid timber or glazed panels that skilfully adhere to the heritage overlay requirements. The timber panels are operable at the push of a button. The dynamism of these screens to adapt to the function of the home links warmly to the ever-changing seasons of the gardens beyond.

The house is set back slightly from the footpath to create a layered connection with the street that allows for privacy but without limiting access to views. Entry to the house leads into a light-filled communal space with, at its heart, a perforated metal Enzie spiral staircase, powder-coated yellow for maximum impact. The open plan zone nestles a small living area at the front and then a generous dining and kitchen area bookended by a central courtyard towards the rear. Circulation through this area weaves past a long bench seat that incorporates storage and allows the dining area to extend as needed to accommodate a 20-person dinner party. The kitchen revolves around an island bench and features stainless steel benchtops, crisp white cabinetry and a mirrored splashback that combine to allow the space to feel larger than its actual footprint.

The lower level creates spaciousness through an abundance of concealed storage, most notably a widened spine element that hides all the service spaces. Concealed in this zone next to the central courtyard is the pantry, laundry, powder room and bathroom which are all intricately detailed to conceal their existence until required. The primary bedroom is located behind the courtyard space but with views all the way through to the park retained. To future-proof the home, the lower level can act as a self-contained single bedroom house.

The staircase element extends into a perforated metal landing on the upper level that creates an expansive top lit void connecting the two levels together. Positioned at the rear of the top storey is a bathroom and guest bedroom with views to the skyline of the city in the distance. The front portion of the upper level is filled by Marija’s art studio. This space exemplifies the house’s idyllic position with views out to a meandering footpath which leads the eye deep into the greenery across the street and celebrates the borrowed amenity that it brings to the house every day.

Parkside continues the strong legacy of finely-crafted joyfilled projects by Austin Maynard Architects. The sophisticated detailing achieves a highly functional and spacious dwelling on a tight urban site. The project nestles into the heritage setting and confidently marks a moment in time for this transitioning segment of Alfred Crescent. It also serves as an important precedent for how the area can develop in a manner that both increases density whilst also ensuring the retention of heritage fabric.

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