Perforated bricks create depth and privacy at the Inglis Architects designed Fairbairn House in Melbourne.
Located on a narrow suburban site bound by houses on either side and facing parks at the front and back, the house presents itself to the public, meaning great emphasis needed to be placed on the front façade.
Inglis Architects designed a breezeway brick screen to cover half of the facade, creating a distinctive entrance for the home, while also providing a permanent privacy wall for the master bedroom situated at the front on the upper floor.
The screen is supported by exaggerated steel beams that cantilever from the main structure and is contrasted by dark timber cladding, which acts as a canvas for the changing shadow formations.
Combined with a layered front yard elevation, the screen also helps to visually distance the house from the street.
Inside, natural finishes have been integrated, with exposed bricks painted white in the main living space, marble used for kitchen and bathroom surfaces and grainy wood flooring featured throughout the home.
Full-height, glazed windows wrap around one corner of an internal courtyard, allowing daylight from the north to penetrate both storeys.
Courtesy Dezeen and Inglis Architects
