Murray urban extension is a renovation and vertical extension for a young couple in Prahran. The project balances and interweaves urban tightness, landscape, and programmatic functions to achieve a living oasis for the owners, in contrast to Prahran bustling metropolitan vibe.
The renovation reconfigures the existing ground floor and first floor for improved function and spatial flow. The ground floor maintains two bedrooms, a garage, and a combined bathroom laundry. The first floor is reconfigured to accommodate the master bedroom and ensuite, with direct access to the main living, dining and kitchen area. The second-floor extension houses the entertainment area with a home office, BBQ area and rooftop deck, looking at the treetop and the city view in the distance.
The site is 15m long by 7m wide, with party walls on both sides. The rear of the property is surrounded by adjacent buildings and small courtyards. Minimising overshadow to other the neighbour’s private open spaces is the main driving force for the building form and articulation.
The design responses take into consideration environmental sustainability and human well being. Due to the lack of landscape in this medium density urban block, the design response is to create a link with ‘nature’ on each level: the ground floor to the front and rear garden, the first floor to the planter boxes on the facade, and the second floor to the rooftop deck with planter boxes and view to the street treetop. Natural finish timber and natural light access are considered and used as the second link to ‘nature’.
The planter boxes on the northern facade, and water tank in the southern backyard act as stormwater retention. Together they retain and slow down stormwater runoff.
The rooftop pergola is designed to block out summer late morning and afternoon sun, while letting the winter sun penetrate the interior.
A combination of a fixed timber screen and an operable metal screen provides privacy and sun control to the living spaces
