The split-level arrangement was a response to the conditions of the sloping site and the site constraints of the neighbouring dwellings. The outcome is a result of the envelope being manipulated by the surrounding context, the required amenity and its negotiation with the existing site constraints. Our domestic container envelope was derived from a simple extrusion of the Victorian cottage silhouette, placed onto the narrow sloping site to set up a defined datum. We started off with our client’s extensive brief for a home that had to house a growing family of 5. The project takes inspiration from its surroundings and context and reinterprets its findings through a contemporary take on a traditional Victorian elevation, resulting in a considered outcome and street integration. This opened up a unique opportunity for the architects to do something drastic.įrom the architects: “When presented at the street elevation, Datum House borrows from the neighboring properties in roof form and material references. It is placed on a heavily sloped site where the front was on a much lower elevation that the back end. It was designed by the Melbourne based FIGR Architecture & Designwith an idea of being a modern dwelling lighted by the sun while it opens up views to the grassy outdoors. The Datum House is a modern family home located on a long and narrow strip of land in Melbourne’s inner suburb Ascot Vale. Photographs by: Tom Blachford & Kate Ballis Datum House by FIGR Architecture & Design

Location: Ascot Vale, Victoria, Australia

Datum architecture