The THAT House Puts Double the Liveability Into Half the Size

Australians boast the largest homes on average of anywhere in the world — the mix of a prosperous economy, the hope to achieve the Australian Dream, and a flat landscape have given rise to these mammoth suburban houses. While seemingly a boon on the surface, the urban sprawl that they create is an infrastructural problem that has eroded the social and economic health of Australian cities, not only stretching civil services such as food, water, electricity, communications, health and education to the limit, but also creating a socially isolating effect and exacerbating environmental degradation due to the overwhelming dependency of suburban dwellers on private cars.

Austin Maynard Architects chose to tackle this problem with its latest project in Melbourne, the THAT House. Built on a footprint half the size of its neighboring lots, the family home stacks three volumes on top of each other, emphasizing transparency and openness in its design as a reaction against fortified suburban architecture. One example is the upward blinds which are pulled up from the floor, thus allowing privacy from the street while still allowing a view of the outside. The floor plan is designed for solitude within shared spaces, so that family members can have their quiet time while never completely cut off from the rest of the house.

Environmentally-friendly features such as north-facing, double-glazed windows, white roofs, high-performance insulation, solar panels, passive ventilation and rainwater capture reduce electricity usage while maximizing natural light throughout the house. While the architects claim that it is not a “new prototype” for Australian family living, the THAT House indeed makes a step in the right direction.