The Chaucer Townhouses, being two 3 bedroom apartments, is modest in scale and provides a much needed family-style accommodation on this prominent corner location in St. Kilda. The design is tailored to site specificity by knitting together site influences, architecture and urban design issues to produce a sustainable, contemporary design.
Each end of the unusual triangular shaped site is ‘bookended’ by red brick walls that reference the existing conditions to each immediate neighbour. The use of a similar colour red brick that compliments the Edwardian residences is continued in the proposal across the ground floor and vertically in the central core of the building. Simple pattern relief in the brickwork also refer to feature brickwork and detailing. The remaining upper section of the design is neutral, slate coloured metal cladding that contrasts the brick masonry base in order to articulate the overall massing. The charcoal finish wraps over the form for the upper two levels, framing each end with the angular sloping setback to its neighbour.
Project Team: Grant Amon, Stephen Herbst, Bruno Rabl
Builder: GL Building and Construction P/L
Interior Design: Chris Connell Design
Lighting: ISM Objects
Photos: Peter Bennetts
