Moonee Ponds
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Project name: Moonee Ponds Residence
Category: Residential
Architect: Max Architects
Structural engineer: P&J Dalgleish
Builder: Jag Homes Developments
Bricklayer: Albi & Son Bricklayers
Brick manufacturer: Austral Bricks
Product: Elements Zinc
Project description:
The owners spent five years living in a modest 1930s bungalow on a quiet Melbourne street, assessing the site and their family's needs before taking the first steps in the design process. The resultant building blends a functional open-plan design with abundant natural light and sustainable building practices.
The architect chose Austral Bricks Elements Zinc semi-glazed bricks to anchor the building and contrast with the lighter-coloured upper-storey zinc cladding. He was also attracted by the ever-changing sheen created as the brick's metallic finish catches the light.
At the front, the upper storey projects over the base brickwork. To the rear, nine courses of brickwork, supported on an L-shaped lintel, span the opening of an outdoor entertainment area. The brickwork is finished with shallow-ironed joints in a charcoal mortar, creating a monolithic effect.
Allowing light to enter on the narrow, north-facing side boundary was a design challenge that was answered by creating a glazed internal courtyard to capture the sun while maintaining a garden outlook. This innovation also preserves the house's flow-through design, allowing a direct visual connection to the street from the main living areas to the rear.
