Austin Maynard Architects has created a striking residential block in an area of Melbourne that re-imagines living space within the context of its community.

The project is located on a busy high street in Brunswick, Melbourne, and comprises 20 residences. Eschewing the idea of apartments, the design is re-imagining of a former inner-city suburban life, where rows of workers cottages generated and nurtured close community. As a result the dwellings are not apartments but terrace houses, stacked six storeys high, and created in response to community engagement work.

The form of the street facades of Terrace House is a direct response to Brunswick’s rich and diverse built heritage. The area has many examples of post war Mediterranean-Australian architecture, industrial buildings and grand Victorian shop fronts. The design borrows from this context in a respectful and playful way to create a modern interpretation with recycled brick and tall tubular steel arches that reflect the area's industrial past.

This project has been longlisted in the housing project category of Dezeen Awards 2022.

Architect: Austin Maynard Architects

Project: Terrace House

Read more: Austin Maynard Architects