Rich Depth – The Bach Pad by Merrylees Architecture
Dark and evocative, The Bach Pad combines a masculine edge with more unexpected and playful elements as the building intersects with light. Merrylees Architecture plays on the contrast between the reflective glass exterior casing of the home and the more intimate internal spaces.
Located south of Melbourne, The Bach Pad explores the idea of masculinity interpreted through both a contemporary lens and within a coastal setting. Surrounded by a combined urban fabric of historic and contemporary builds, the residence sits comfortably behind its curtainwall of extensive glass in Hampton. The encircling sleeve of glass references the nearby ocean and sky through its blue tint whilst the reflective quality of surface absorbs and echoes the surrounding happenings. Combining dark and textured elements, Merrylees Architecture proposes a home of low maintenance robustness that is layered with some surprising gestures.
Despite its constrained site, the home optimises the available space through the creation of open floor plates over its multiple levels, where a central mesh stair connects and encourages movement vertically. The central corridor allows for light to pass through the space without interrupting sightlines and adds a feature for light to cast shadows as it passes. Designed for its bachelor owner, the approach takes the more traditional notions of what such a space should embody, adding modern and refined touches and elevating the spaces in the process. By integrating smart systems that enhance everyday functionality, there is an accompanying self-sustaining essence to the home through solar powering and its associated battery for energy storage.
Balancing moments of retreat and reveal were key for creating a home of privacy for its owner. Although it overlooks neighbours from all sides on the upper level, it did not have visual access to the street; to abate this, a reflective film covers the exterior to the front whilst a perforated mesh screen is used elsewhere. Balconies then sit behind the metal screen, allowing for the outdoor space to feel concealed yet open to the elements. Furthermore, the kitchen needed to be both functional and sit as a seminal hero of the home. In its central location, other zones connect in from various directions as an extension of the kitchen as the core social hub. A consistent black toned flooring of SurfaceX binds the home, seeing a similar tone being used through the materiality within the kitchen, wet areas, bedrooms and living spaces.
Designed for its bachelor owner, the approach takes the more traditional notions of what such a space should embody, adding modern and refined touches and elevating the spaces in the process.
The Bach Pad by Merrylees Architecture sees an introspective series of spaces celebrate the idea of escape. Through a darkened and privacy-minded approach, the owner can feel liberated and disconnected once within.
