sean godsell's edward street house sports grated metal skin

located 4 km from melbourne’s central business district, the ‘edward street house’ by sean godsell architects is a site-hugging home for for a musician and artist couple as well as their three children. nestled into the city’s dense residential fabric and seemingly limited by zoning and historical protection laws, the home’s single-family programming provided opportunities for creative use of the site. the design extends the living space to the property’s edge in order to maximize available space– a strategy used in urban architecture.

the residence is only 4km from melbourne’s central business district
all images courtesy of sean godsell architects

a glass roof extends to cover the side yard, which frees the limited plot by transforming it into a gallery. a wooden deck and garden provide continuity from the living area to the rear yard. the main architectural strategy is an operable the facade that opens lengthy hallways and rooms to lateral courtyards that border two sides of the home– one of which links an existing bluestone building that acts as studio space for the creative clients. inner circulation is organized around the connective gesture, creating a sequence of interior and exterior spaces that can become customizably unified.

‘edward st. house’ is sean godsell’s first house in a dense urban context since 1997

the flexible language of the exterior is also pervasive inside that with a series of dark, wide-grained wooden sliding panels which reveal storage in thickened walls as well as space-saving built-in shelving. the warmth of the ubiquitous wooden interior skin is met with an exterior palette of galvanized zinc grating that lends a lightness and delicateness to the building envelope. the balance of consolidation and expansion become the identity of the home and forge a sensibility expressed both tectonically and spatially. 

zoning restrictions limit the house’s roof height and frontage

the deck and awnings expand the envelope, taking full advantage for the site as livable space

the entire facade acts as a curtain, opening to extend the habitable space,

the facade closes to provide privacy

(left) a narrow entryway cuts completely through the site
(right) looking down the corridor through the house

secret sliding panels conceal storage areas and passageways to the rest of the house
(left) living room | (right) kitchen and dining area

the bathroom is located at the end of the corridor, which separates the bedrooms from the main living space

the study provides passage from the main hall to the living room

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project info:

project: edward street house
location: melbourne, australia
architect: sean godsell architects
project team: sean godsell, hayley franklin
building area: 240 sq m