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Project by
Year of completion
2020
Project cost
$0.5m - $1m
Building style
Contemporary

Refined form and materiality with an urban street presence - literally on the street alignment, Little Richardson has been recognised as a exemplar home demonstrating compact living in a leafy inner suburb of Melbourne. An arrangement of horizontal and vertical strip windows in the red-brick façade extending some of the existing openings / patching in others. The form robustly occupies the laneway corner, a sculptural intent and important to reuse the existing structure where possible as a conceptual and contextual strategy. It was important to seamlessly connect courtyard to living space - you enter the house when you enter the courtyard, and this sense of landscape connection is important to environmental sensory design, improving psychological wellbeing.

Interior materiality was explored through the haptic; consideration of daylight effects to a condensed palette exploring 4 elements and their relationship to the body; the paring of white spaces with the tonal richness of dark tiled spaces to wet areas, concrete; inside-outside on the ground floor, external stair and roof-deck cladding above, and various oak timbers defining the ceiling plane and joinery. As Derek John Clements-Croome writes; “We link our perceptions about materials through our senses … they hold memories of activities ….. in other words, materials can hold our emotion"...

YEAR : 2020

LOCATION : Albert Park

SITE AREA : 59.6m2

Awards

2021 Interior Design Excellence (IDEA) Awards, Shortlisted

2021 TIDA Runner-up, Architect Designed Kitchens

2021 RIDA High Commendation, Architect Design Bathroom

Awards and
recognition

2022
Ttrends Ideas TIDA Australia
Architect Kitchen - Runner Up
2022
City of Port Phillip
Resiential Award - Winner
2022
Trends Ideas TIDA Architect
Bathroom - High Commendation
2021
IDEA: Interior Design Excellence Award
Resiential Interior - Shortlisted
Visit Website
Watch our award-winning Little Richardson, Albert Park video here...
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath
Photography: Shannon McGrath

About the
Professional

A design-led architecture, interiors and urbanism studio in South Melbourne

McMahon and Nerlich established in 2013 with a focus on finely crafted residential and commercial projects. Directors Rob Nerlich and Kate McMahon weave together influences from the built environment, architectural urbanism and design theory to create beautiful buildings and spaces

McMahon and Nerlich is an experienced design studio based in South Melbourne, founded in 2013 by directors Rob Nerlich and Kate McMahon. Our multi-disciplinary studio brings a unique vision and dedication to each project. We work across all scales with expertise in residential, education, commercial and urban design across metropolitan and regional areas. We remain passionate about designing houses for people. Each project we undertake contributes to our practice research and our focus on design-led architecture that is sustainable and a portrait of our clients. We hold studio leader positions at the Melbourne School of Design at the University of Melbourne. We have a growing published and award-winning portfolio of built work across the residential and commercial sectors and we have a strong and clear practice/process philosophy and social sustainability ethic. We welcome you to contact us and become part of our practice journey.