- Project: Happy Haus
- Architect: Flack Studio
- Location: Australia, Melbourne
- Year: 2025
- Photography: Anson Smart
From Factory Foundations to Refined Family Living
Located in Melbourne, Happy Haus by Flack Studio reimagines a former furniture factory across three levels—an ambitious transformation into a home that retains its industrial memory while being wholly contemporary. The conversion acknowledges the original warehouse architecture: raw structure, high ceilings, open spans—then overlays it with fine materials, thoughtful programming and a curated lifestyle aesthetic.
The studio describes the project as having “soaring 10-metre ceilings”, signalling the drama of scale retained from the building’s past. As a 2025 project, Happy Haus emerges as a flagship example of adaptive residential architecture in Australia.
Spatial Strategy: Three Levels, One Cohesive Home
Happy Haus arranges its three floors to balance social, service and private functions elegantly. The ground floor opens into expansive living areas, layered with height and volume—the former factory grid becomes the backbone of home life. Mid-level and upper zones house service rooms, private retreats and art/display-intensive spaces.
Rather than insert discrete rooms, the plan preserves openness, allowing circulation to double as architecture—stairs become sculptural, landings become galleries, mezzanines become vantage points. The high ceilings and original structural clearance are celebrated, making the home feel generous while still grounded in human scale.
Materiality, Heritage & Interiors: Industrial Roots, Refined Finish
Flack Studio retains structural vestiges: warehouse columns, history-laden spans, and industrial presence. Over that, they layer tactile materials—warm timber joinery, stone surfaces, curated furnishings and bespoke lighting. The interiors fuse furniture design, art and architecture: the practice is known for combining vintage pieces, high-end finishes and site-specific narrative.
The former factory status remains visible: large spans, exposed structure, vertical height—but refined with details that rest the home in luxury: custom cabinetry, gallery lighting, integrated art walls, and thoughtful spatial sequencing. The result: a residence that feels both home and curated exhibition.
Heritage Adaptation & Long-Term Living
Converting an industrial building into a home presents challenges of scale, climate, zoning and atmosphere. Flack Studio treats these not as obstacles but as opportunities. The high volume becomes living volume; the structural grid becomes gallery-like; the shell becomes adaptable to future change. This focus on longevity, adaptability and layering aligns with their ethos of design built to last and evolve.
Happy Haus therefore is not a momentary showcase—it is a durable home, ready for life, collecting, change and habitation across decades.
Why Happy Haus Matters
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- Adaptive reuse at scale: The transformation of a furniture factory into a luxury three-level home retains industrial authenticity while elevating living experience.
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- Dramatic spatial volume with human detail: 10-metre ceilings, expansive spans, but broken into humanised zones via materials and furniture.
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- Curated interiors meet architectural integrity: The house is both art-space and home—furniture, lighting and objects are integrated not stacked.
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- Design for longevity, not flash: The project emphasises material quality, adaptability and legacy over trends.
Happy Haus is a model of how warehouse conversions move beyond loft tropes into high-end, enduring domestic architecture. It is as comfortable with family life as it is with collecting, showing and living. Flack Studio delivers a house that is both architecture and performance.
