Australian studio Project twelve Architecture has used plywood partitions and furnishings to reconfigure a converted warehouse in Melbourne and make a lot more space for a developing loved ones.
The clientele loved the area of their residence in the city’s Brunswick suburb, but needed more room to accommodate two new arrivals to the family members.
“When 1st approaching us, our customers were at a reduction as to how to make the present warehouse conversion ideal for their developing family members,” explained Aimee Goodwin, 1 of the two directors of Venture 12.
“With an 18-month-outdated toddler sharing their bedroom and twins on the way, they needed far more space,” she advised Dezeen.
Named Brunswick Residence, the home has two floors, with an external roof terrace. Prior to the renovation, the clients invested most of their time on the very first floor, which homes the kitchen, residing area, bathroom and a bedroom. But they had struggled to find a way to utilise the ground floor room, because it was prolonged and narrow, with windows on the two quick walls only.
Venture 12 chose to adapt this space by adding a amount of walls with big openings. Across these, they put in plywood panels that slide back and forth, to make sure that normal light and ventilation can still filter across the plan.
Associated story: Plywood staircase by Buj+Colón Arquitectos integrates shelves and cupboards for a modest flat
“The quick known as for the insertion of two bedrooms, a keep space and a bathroom into the current extended, dark and narrow space,” said Goodwin.
“Our response, the humble plywood panel,” she additional. “Ply panels are fixed and held off bedroom walls, appearing to float and generate a higher sense of room as you move through the narrow strategy.”
The bedrooms are positioned against the east- and west-facing external walls. A living space described as the rumpus area sits in between, even though the storage region is slotted below the stairs and the bathroom sits in the far corner.
There is no entrance on this floor, so residents usually enter the area from over. A plywood shelving unit runs along the edge of the staircase, framing the edge of the rumpus room.
Plywood panels on both side of this area lead through to the bedrooms. When open they generate one big open-plan space, but when closed they mix in with panels on both side, providing the bedrooms with visual and acoustic separation.
“The continuity of the ‘floating panel’ was also ready to feed into the detailing of the screens to each bedroom, and allowed us to obtain a sense of cohesion in the general layout,” explained Goodwin.
“We picked plywood for a variety of reasons,” she added. “One, it is a resilient materials that could stand up to the knocks and bumps from younger kids, and two, its blonde colouring delivers a sense of warmth and contrast against the darker, more difficult surfaces of polished concrete and exposed steel.”
Offcuts from the doors and wall panels were utilized to build the shelves, drawers and wardrobes.
The warehouse room prior to conversion
“The new design and style transforms a two-bedroom townhouse into a functional household residence,” said Goodwin. “The ultimate design and style has greatly improved the performance, but also enjoyment of their property.”
Photography is by Jessie Prince.
Project credits:
Architect: Project 12 Architecture
Client: Kathy Belka and Scott Liebhardt
Builder: MVH Constructions
Developing surveyor: Rod Bethune & Associates
Axonometric diagram one particular 
Axonometric diagram two 
Floor plan 
Segment Dezeen
