A fine balance…

For this four-level commercial building at 1 Hotham Street, South Melbourne, the architecture strikes a fine balance between the historic and a dynamic modern sensibility.

The building is a combination of office and residential space – a ground floor lobby, a six-car carpark, a large one-bedroom apartment with a home theatre and two-level office space with a flexible mezzanine level.

A dynamic commercial building

Completed in 2014, the architecture of the building reflects its mixed uses as residential and commercial, while also capturing the characteristics of this historic inner Melbourne suburb.

The dominant aspect of the design is the archetypal high bay pitched roof form taken from the industrial/warehouse vernacular historically prevalent to the area. It deliberately creates tension between the house and the warehouse – the residential space and the office space.

A new work/life balance

In a world in which the line between work and life is ever blurred, the design boldly creates a dialogue between home and office, both in programmatic use and architectural form.

The resulting form is one that is architecturally iconic through the strong expression of archetype but also contextually sensitive and responsive.