- Project: THAT House
- Architect: Austin Maynard Architects
- Location: Australia, Melbourne
- Year: 2015
- Area: 255 m2
- Photography: Tess Kelly
THAT House by Austin Maynard Architects rethinks scale and sustainability in Melbourne: a 255 m² home that feels abundant, transparent and intimately connected to its garden. Through adaptable spatial connections and passive design, this project challenges suburban excess while delivering quiet elegance and liveability.
Project Overview
Situated within a modest suburban block in Melbourne, Australia, THAT House stands among much larger neighboring homes. The site’s footprint measures 514 m², with a built area of around 255 m². Completed in 2015, the project was designed by Austin Maynard Architects for a family seeking a generous yet restrained lifestyle within their suburban context.
Rather than adding unnecessary volume, the studio approached the design with restraint — building “just the right amount of house.” By embracing compact efficiency, strategic openness, and passive design, THAT House challenges the culture of oversized suburban homes and redefines modern liveability.
Design Concept
Modest Scale, Bold Ambition
Instead of maximizing square footage, the architects focused on the perception of space. The home feels large through spatial layering, abundant daylight, and transparency. While it occupies barely half the size of surrounding houses, the experience is expansive thanks to smart proportioning and connection to the outdoors.
Transparency and Privacy
The defining gesture of THAT House is its delicate balance between openness and privacy. Large glass areas connect interior and garden, while a unique system of upward blinds allows residents to enjoy views out without being overlooked. This thoughtful mechanism provides nuanced control over privacy and light, setting a precedent for suburban housing design.
“Alone, Together” Philosophy
Central to Austin Maynard’s ethos is the idea of being “alone, together.” The plan enables both intimacy and connection — family members can coexist in the same space while pursuing different activities. On the ground floor, flexible partitions and spatial transitions create calm zones within an open framework, allowing the house to adapt to mood and moment.
Materials and Technical Strategies
Passive Solar Performance
The home’s orientation and envelope maximize thermal comfort. North-facing windows are double glazed for winter warmth, while western openings are minimized to prevent overheating. High-performance insulation, deep eaves, and operable shading maintain ideal conditions year-round with minimal mechanical cooling.
Energy and Water Systems
THAT House integrates a solar panel array with microinverters to power household operations. A buried rainwater tank captures roof runoff for toilet flushing and garden irrigation, while cross-ventilation and stack effects naturally regulate indoor air quality.
Local Materials and Craft
Construction employed locally sourced materials and trades to reduce embodied energy. Brick, timber, and steel were chosen for their longevity and recyclability. The restrained palette creates warmth and tactile richness, balancing transparency with grounded solidity.
Interior and Spatial Experience
Connection to the Garden
Inside, visual continuity blurs the threshold between interior and landscape. Full-height glass doors slide open to merge living and dining with the outdoor terrace. The continuity of materials and flooring reinforces the sense of flow and openness, while strategically framed views anchor each space in nature.
Functional Zoning
The ground floor combines living, dining, study, and circulation areas with flexible boundaries. Upstairs, compact bedrooms and a private master suite are arranged around a light-filled corridor. Each space benefits from daylight and ventilation, creating comfort through simplicity rather than excess.
Built-in Elements and Detailing
Joinery, furniture, and cabinetry are integrated as architectural components, reducing visual clutter. Custom shelving and timber detailing unify the interior while enhancing warmth. This minimalist approach amplifies the home’s sense of calm and purpose.
Sustainability and Innovation
Energy Efficiency
THAT House demonstrates that sustainability can coexist with elegance. The photovoltaic array and passive solar design sharply reduce operational energy demand. The combination of shading devices, rainwater harvesting, and insulated envelope achieves excellent thermal performance without reliance on artificial systems.
Adaptive Privacy Systems
Among the home’s most ingenious innovations is the upward-opening blind — a subtle but effective response to suburban density. It allows natural light to enter while shielding residents from neighboring sightlines. This concept transforms privacy from a barrier into a dynamic architectural tool.
Environmental and Social Impact
THAT House proves that less can truly be more. By resisting the urge to overbuild, the design preserves open land, reduces materials consumption, and promotes a healthier relationship between home and environment. It challenges the suburban norm while inspiring new models of sustainable living.
Conclusion
THAT House by Austin Maynard Architects is a quietly radical manifesto for modest, sustainable living. Instead of competing in size, it celebrates connection, control, and climate responsiveness. The home’s intelligent planning and adaptive privacy strategies show how architecture can empower lifestyle without excess.
