We explore a Melbourne home by built around a central garden where every moment considers ‘mind, body and spirit’.
have long been refining the art of. Their Mayfield Avenue project is testament to this, with a home that surrounds a verdant core and directs views to this green space at every opportunity. When the home isn’t looking inward in search of light and leafy green, it’s looking outwards to the affronting Jacaranda tree and soaking up the northern sun.
Mayfield Avenue is the seamless culmination of connection and immersion, providing the ultimate sense of sanctuary, enclosure and comfort for those within.
With studiofour’s holistic approach to Mayfield Avenue, it comes as no surprise that their team combine designer skillsets across architecture, interiors, landscape and art. Each bleeds into and informs the other, promoting a coherent home.
The concept of a central garden was introduced to meet the site’s challenges of orientation and size. By wrapping the building around the garden, the home will continue to appreciate its growth and development.
This was supported by an architectural framework of solid planes and interconnecting steel screens, giving privacy from the street. The framework was also designed to borrow negative external space from between the screen and the glass to increase the perception of internal room size. To curb cold and dark spaces, glazed sliding doors were prioritised, maximising ventilation and interaction with the landscape.
Contrary to a typical new build, open plan living was avoided and instead studiofour focused on ‘separate, calm and purposeful spaces’. These spaces were met with elements that maintained family interaction, such as the double-sided brick fireplaces. Exposed handmade brickwork is a reoccurring element throughout the home, to ‘define the solidity of the interiors’, creating a base for all other interior materials to be layered.
During the entire process, studiofour placed an emphasis on capturing the varying qualities of light, scale and proportion of space which provide a ‘tangible connection with the building’s landscaped surrounds’. studiofour worked hard to bring northern light into the two separate living areas at the front and a softer natural light into the kitchen, dining and sleeping areas.
Mayfield Avenue’s architecture may first command your attention, but the landscape and the interiors subtly engage in the way they provide sanctuary. The steel screens and windows inform the fireplace detail and joinery, influencing decisions around lighting and furniture. Design highlights include the , Arflex Marechiaro sofa available at , and the .
Mayfield Avenue’s story is grounded in lightness and openness, yet offers a feeling of seclusion and privacy. By prioritising these juxtaposing virtues, studiofour have made the family’s overall wellbeing a priority for years to come.
The post appeared first on .
