Melbourne-based Natalie and Lauren, who both work in the medical profession, wanted to create a family home that they could one day pass on to their two young children. They dreamed of it being a flexible space that would adapt to the needs of the family over time, as well as the changing climate. Their foresight allowed them to build in a range of future-proofing measures from the ground up.

“Having just brought little people into the world, we asked ‘What will this world look like for them as they get older?’” Natalie explains. “We’ve always been environmentally minded and it was always a dream of ours to pass something on to our kids. So, the sustainable building ideal went hand in hand with trying to give them that edge in life, while also considering how it would impact the future.”

The couple bought a property in the inner-city suburb where they planned to settle and raise a family. The existing house wasn’t suitable for renovation, Natalie explains, so they chose to start from scratch, enlisting passive house–certified design and building firm the Sociable Weaver to bring their vision to life.

“The Sociable Weaver’s approach to the build right from the start was to minimize impact where possible,” Natalie says. “Even with the demolition of the previous house, they engaged a contractor to recycle, reuse, and refurbish as many materials as they could.”

Having traveled to Japan several times, Natalie and Lauren were inspired by Japanese design and the concept of kanso, a philosophy rooted in simplicity. They also wanted to lean into their own Asian heritage by embracing multigenerational living and creating a practical space that could grow with their young children and one day accommodate elderly relatives. “The design was driven by these principles and the fact that we love Japanese architecture—but we wanted it to fit within the suburb we lived in, without it becoming too cliché,” Natalie says.

The Sociable Weaver’s head of design, Michael Nowlan, says family, nature and privacy were key to the concept. The home faces a busy street, so he designed a U-shaped floor plan around a central courtyard that offers a “continual connection to the outdoors.” The main bedroom and living area flank either side of the courtyard, while a six-meter hallway with a built-in bench seat and desks connects the spaces.

“What’s really lovely about it is, if you open everything up, not only does it create cross-ventilation, but it also feels like you’re living in the entire space,” Natalie says. “The kids can just run a loop [around the house], and for safety reasons, we can keep an eye on them doing that loop.”

The home’s high-pitched roof is another nod to Japanese architecture, and it inspired a clever space-enhancing tweak during the design process. The couple initially asked for a single-story layout to fit in with the vernacular of the street, but they opted to tuck a small lofted bedroom and study within the roof’s exaggerated pitch.

“We just fell in love with it once we realized the potential,” Natalie says. “We currently use it as a spare bedroom for guests and a home office. We’re hoping that, as the kids get older and want their own space, it will transform into something else. And if we end up with elderly relatives living with us, it means that we can accommodate more people.”

The home’s unique U shape works perfectly with the solar passive-house design, which strategically embraces the sun, shade, and airflow to create a high-performing dwelling. “The beauty of the courtyard is that it’s private but it allows for north-facing sun to reach right to the back of the house, brining more light to spaces that are normally dark and maximizing passive heating and cooling,” Nowlan says.

Thanks to the sustainability measures baked into the design, the home is considered carbon negative. The noki-style eaves are carefully angled to shade the interior from summer heat and welcome warmth and light during the winter months, while sub-floor insulation enhances the thermal properties of the concrete slab. It’s also equipped with a recycled water system, an electric hot-water pump, solar panels, and a battery. “All those things make it pleasant to live here,” Natalie says.

The garden is almost exclusively native Australian plants to reduce water consumption, and even the striking black cladding has sustainable nous: the Japanese technique of charring timber makes it naturally resistant to rot, termites and fire. “It’s just one material that wraps the entire house and the simplicity of that is beautiful,” Nowlan says.

Inside, Natalie and Lauren opted for quality finishes that would stand the test of time, such as Japanese ceramic feature tiles and sleek Laminex cabinetry. Their style is naturally minimal, and Natalie adds that the “less is more,” monochromatic palette enhances the home’s restorative sense of calm. “We feel very tranquil here,” she says.

Related Reading:

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A Butterfly Roof Tops an “Upside-Down” House Built for Aging in Place

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: The Sociable Weaver / @thesociableweaverhomes

Builder: Martin Builders

Structural Engineer: Deery Consultants

Landscape Design: Reclaimed Spaces

Cabinetry Design: Leongatha Kitchens

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They Built Their Japanese-Inspired Home So That Their Children Could Inherit It