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It's traditional among homes in the region to enter through their backdoor, seen here. The door leads directly to the living room.

The den, originally and enclosed porch off the back of the house, was one of the biggest energy-sucking culprits. The designers opened it to the rest of the house to improve circulation, added a pentagonal Weather Shiel window, and clad the structure in metal panels matching the roof.

Rearyard extension that preserved a 200-year old tree.

On a rear addition to an existing suburban home outside of Melbourne, Australia, Austin Maynard Architects designed a brick structure with a series of round windows on multiple facades. The circular windows vary in size and location, giving the building a playful twist, despite its more traditional construction of red brick.

"We liked the idea of capturing the informality of a holiday place—nothing precious, all simple and practical," explain the architects.

Recycled and repurposed items, such as salvaged bricks and a stainless steel bench from a commercial kitchen, have been used to create a low maintenance and sustainable home.

The solid brick facade is is broken up and certainly made more interesting by the incorporation of circular windows.

Nestled into a grassy hillside, the cabins overlook ponds and oak, birch, and linden trees that grow on the property.

The triple-height central courtyard is enclosed on one side by a wall of steel-framed Crittal windows and doors. A multi-level seating area connects to both public and private spaces.

The long kitchen island was custom made and inspired by the design of a welder’s bench.

The main residence encompasses the ground floor

three self-contained residences, an artist’s studio, and an office space, in addition to several entertaining areas.

The vast volume is topped by a gabled roof, complete with massive skylights for natural light. In addition to offering income opportunities as a rental venue, the courtyard provides off-street parking and space for indoor recreation.

“At first we thought we might not need that much space, but then we started thinking long term. We look at this house as the home of our lifetime.” —Guido Chiavelli

View from the kitchen to the dining and living room beyond

Custom cut steel awning. The awning design uses the archetypal gable shape of the house and rotates it to create the perforated pattern

Central Courtyard