By Breathe
Occupying an under-utilised open space at the rear of two existing Californian bungalows, Bardolph Gardens consists of two single-storey dwellings that provide environmentally sustainable, affordable, and well designed rental housing in Glen Iris.
Celebrating the prominence of brick materiality in the surrounding context, the recycled brick facade of Bardolph Gardens adds value to the streetscape with a simple, contemporary aesthetic. The form and pitch of the roof planes take cues from its neighbouring houses, homogenising the proposed forms with the neighbourhood character.
Dwellings are entered through either a private courtyard or landscaped garden. Interiors are generous, light-filled, warm and spacious with each room having an outlook to greenery. A considered roof pitch and external steel awnings work to maximise solar gain in winter whilst providing volume and an abundance of light to the living areas through north-facing glazing. The pared-back, humble and robust material palette serves a purpose to ensure the longevity of the dwellings. Embedded throughout, a series of hit-and-miss brick screens create smaller courtyards, drawing in air and dappled light to adjacent bedrooms and bathrooms.
Bardolph Gardens is designed with a priority towards sustainability with each dwelling achieving a minimum of 8 stars. Carefully designed to maximise thermal performance, dwellings operate entirely from a zero fossil fuel services system, including a solar PV array and heat pump system that supplies hot water.
We are proud to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land upon which Bardolph Gardens stands. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture.
Awards
Photography by Tom Ross
Australia’s most awarded sustainable design firm, and its most dependable.
Our Approach
Breathe undertakes meaningful projects we can be proud of — those that align with our purpose and values.
Since we focus on maximising positive impact, many of our projects don’t fit the common definition of ‘architecture’.
We work to understand who we’re designing for. We strive to inspire, engage and support our clients and the broader communities we serve.
We prioritise social, environmental and economic sustainability in every project. We question the status quo to pursue outcomes that are informed by, and seek to better, those that came before.
Above all, we prioritise ethics along with aesthetics, and design without ego, to create the best outcomes for our clients and their communities.