Each prefabricated Igluhut is wrapped in spruce shingles using a traditional Nordic building technique. Available in five main configurations, the huts range in size from 108 to 212 square feet. Here, their mid-range model measures 22 feet long and 7.5 feet wide, with space for either two or four people depending on the floor plan.
In an attempt to beat the winter blues and improve his work/life balance, Australian architect Andrew Maynard combines his home with his office in a sun-drenched Victorian terrace with bright bursts of yellow.
In 2016, architect Andrew Maynard of Austin Maynard Architects (AMA) decided to transform the way he and his team live and work. At the end of winter, Maynard visited a doctor about his increasing levels of stress and anxiety. The doctor’s suggestion was that he get more vitamin D to improve his mental health. Maynard decided to radically renovate his dark, Victorian-style terrace house in Melbourne, and flood it with therapeutic sunshine.
To combat the soul-crushing winter, architect Andrew Maynard re-imagined his Victorian terrace home in Melbourne as a cheerful yellow-hued sanctuary. Equal parts residence (upper level) and convivial studio headquarters (front ground level), it features a 184-square-foot greenhouse addition.
The simple plywood shelves provide a light contrast to the original Victorian floorboards that the couple finished with OSMO ebony oil.
The stairs were stripped back to just the steps and upgraded with a new steel handrail and spindles. The treads were finished with OSMO ebony oil.
“We couldn't resist this beautiful shade of pink,” notes Richard of the door color. “It was championed by Kristina, but I didn’t take much convincing. It would also draw a lot of attention and help the house to be easily found by visiting clients and potential new business.”
The architecture follows the natural contours of the wedge-shaped site: the building is placed on higher ground on the site’s wider east end, while exterior decking steps down to the pool to the west.
A view from the front door shows that the bright and airy open floor plan leads straight through to the backyard.
The original steel window frames were restored and now overlook views of a lush canopy.