Cross Stitch House / FMD Architects

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The site is a single storey terrace on a small 5m wide block in the inner city of Melbourne. The brief was to create new Living and Dining spaces, relocate the existing kitchen and bathrooms and improve access to natural light in the main living and main bedroom areas. The existing Victorian eastern end of the house containing 2 bedrooms was to remain and be refurbished.

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The functional requirements of the client were simple. The only particular requirement was to find a place in the design for 3 tapestries of houses that her mother had made.

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Our design strategy is always to celebrate the particularities of the project, so while exploring the tradition of tapestry and stitching techniques, the concept of stitching the new house form to the old established the design approach.

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The timber beams form the thread which stitches the new living room to the existing house, then beyond to the western courtyard. The timber beams at the northern point converge into a large timber column, reminiscent of a bobbin thread. Within the courtyard a mirror is positioned strategically at the end of the threads to extend the space and create a sense of unravelling (while concealing the services of the building). The timber threads twist over the western façade to provide added shading to the Living area which will soon be overgrown over by greenery.