Two of a Kind – Thornbury Townhouses by Fowler and Ward

Taking influence from the surrounding suburban context, Fowler and Ward replaces an existing Californian bungalow with two purpose-built multi-level homes that align with a revised contemporary brief. Thornbury Townhouses play with scale, form and materiality to offer an engaging interpretation on what has come before.

The homes sit comfortably in their suburban milieu of Thornbury, in Melbourne’s north. The project is a response to the need to increase urban density while cleverly making effective use of the remaining land in a way that suits the contemporary living condition and offers an architecture of character in return. Inherited in 2014, the site was previously home to an existing Californian bungalow in need of much repair or to be demolished and replaced. Fowler and Ward takes visual and stylistic cues from the area and its rich history of added homes over time and proposes two residences that speak to a contemporary newness and understanding of materiality, while respecting the existing and surrounding scale.

The homes are weighted to their site through their textured masonry base, which then lightens as it raises upward, becoming metal clad, while continuing the same tonality and creamy neutral palette throughout.

Constructed by ProvanBuilt, Thornbury Townhouses sit on a quiet street and stretch the length of their site, making use of their north/south orientation. Accommodating the need for increased occupancy, creating a dual tenancy and aligning with the existing scale of the surrounding homes, the response sees two homes emerge on site with a shared common wall, both with separate identities and their own street address. The two homes are purpose-built for the clients, a young family and their parents, creating an opportunity to downsize and age in place for one household, while also offering an opportunity to enter the property market in a more realistic and achievable pathway for the other.

The homes are weighted to their site through their textured masonry base, which then lightens as it raises upward, becoming metal clad, while continuing the same tonality and creamy neutral palette throughout. Openings and threshold features are expressed through warming timber elements and combined with a minimal and restrained approach to landscaping, the home creates its own unique sense of identity and refreshing charm. It’s offering as a new iteration of the traditional family home is developed as a means to encourage a dialogue between the existing homes, while still having its own presence. Internally, similar muted tones are used throughout, with speckled colour introduced through terrazzo elements and furniture throughout. The approach is one of reduction and restraint, allowing for layers of richness to be added by the owners over time.

Internally, muted tones are used throughout, with speckled colour introduced through terrazzo elements and furniture throughout.

Thornbury Townhouses are imagined sympathetically to appear as one combined structure while offering the diversity and layering of two separate residences. Fowler and Ward hasextended the site’s narrative through reinstating a sense of purpose, while also deliberately engaging with the street in a refreshing way.