Refined Rawness – No.66 by Tristan Burfield

The intentional blending of simplicity with rich textures of a long, linear site defines No.66. Tristan Burfield demonstrates restraint in the approach of this home to ensure a lasting relevance with spaces of solitude.

Within the inner north of Melbourne, No.66 is a welcome contemporary addition to the area of Alphington, where many period homes remain on large allotments. As its own distinctive statement of minimalistic sophistication without the benefit of a generous site, architect Tristan Burfield arranged the property’s form along a restrictive narrow footprint guided by the overlaying of function and connection. “The form digs in and pushes to both boundaries,” says Tristan, “to achieve the owners’ desired program – stepping down the site, while managing council required setbacks and respecting connectivity and flow between the home’s indoor and outdoor spaces.”

As its own distinctive statement of minimalistic sophistication without the benefit of a generous site, architect Tristan Burfield arranged the property’s form along a restrictive narrow footprint guided by the overlaying of function and connection.

Opting to celebrate raw finishes and texture, the nuanced way in which light interacts with surfaces played an important role in how the spaces of No.66 came together. Despite the strict guidelines the residence needed to adhere to, the result feels voluminous, optimising all the available scale. “The owners wanted to build a home with raw and pared-back simple textures,” says Tristan, “and the spaces became a composition of concrete, rammed earth – constructed from recycled concrete to move away from the typical warmer colour tones – blacks, blocks, grey renders and then pockets of timber and neutral highlights strewn about.” It is in this deepening of No.66’s tactile moments that allows the dwelling to feel grounded in place.

By allowing the form to follow the natural fall of the site across levels, the home has room for both open, expansive spaces and more intimate zones. The lower ground level is set within the terrain, housing the main living spaces and children’s play area. With its near-four-metre-high ceilings, the expanse of glass within the thin black steel frames brings in ample natural light throughout the day to this active zone. The upper levels contain more retreat-like spaces, with an eight-metre-long bridge connecting to the main bedroom suite. Each of these spaces then sits under a shared green roof that blankets the overall form, with the internal climate adjusted accordingly to changing climate conditions.

Opting to celebrate raw finishes and texture, the nuanced way in which light interacts with surfaces played an important role in how the spaces of No.66 came together.

With a composition of weighty material components, No.66 is a statement of permanence. With this expression of home as a base for life, Tristan Burfield has ensured the dwelling is the ideal mix of robust materiality and raw tactility to be able to absorb the inevitable knocks of time.