Tattoo House by Andrew Maynard Architects

An extension to an existing 3 bedroom house in Fitzroy North to provide new living and kitchen space for a growing young family.

Many of the design decisions were generated by the tight budget. The form is a simple box- the strongest form an architect can achieve at a bargain basement price.

Every element needed to perform multiple functions for maximum return- hence the kitchen bench becomes part of the stair, and the screening required by council reflects heat and glare away from the expansive windows, neatly eliminating the need for curtains.

Council requirements regarding overlooking which dictate a 75% opacity to second-storey spaces are resolved by UV stable stickers rather than expensive and elaborate screening. The tree supergraphic creates playful and ever-changing shadows across the interior spaces and is composed of images taken in the local park.

Despite these challenges a double story, non-domestic scale space was achieved with a basic palette of materials.