Warehouse Greenhouse is about the past and the future. It is a story of industrialisation and human occupation, and an attempt to reconcile these with the natural environment.

Designed for a quiet, tenacious family of guerrilla gardeners and artisans, of quiet intellect and determination, this project is about doing more with less. It signals the possibility of a simple, elegant path to a sustainable future.

Warehouse Greenhouse is a simple, contextual extension built out of corrugated Zincalume cladding. Remnants of the existing building are preserved and expressed revealing its imperfections and years of layered wear. The approach was to harness the embodied energy of the existing building; to keep as much as possible and add only what was necessary.

This project is an exercise in considered restraint. The clients care deeply about the environment and worked with us, meticulously, to build a handcrafted, beautifully insulated small footprint family home.

We are proud to acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land upon which Warehouse Greenhouse stands. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture.

Awards

• Houses Awards 2020 Sustainability (Shortlisted)
• Sustainability Awards 2020 Single Dwelling — Alteration

Photographer by Tom Ross