A TALE OF TWO SUBURBS.
Martha Street is figuratively speaking situated ‘on the corner’ of Beaconsfield and South Fremantle and whilst the two neighbouring suburbs certainly play to the form of the home, it’s the block itself that dictated the design more than the area or surrounding suburbs.
The block itself is 330m² and the house is a modest 180m². A a 3-bedroom 3-bathroom home on a site that is designed to maximise living, and luckily being built on a corner means it also reaps the benefits of those facade goals as having visibility from more than one side gives the great false impression of ‘more space’.
There’s the lure of Beaconsfield, a suburb full of parks and reserves that plays to the appeal of young families, and the proximity of South Freo with its headline beach, laidback lifestyle, cafe culture, and an overarching sentiment to ‘tread lightly on this earth’ - all fusing together to make Martha the corner pocket with a difference.
Coincidentally; our offices are located in North Fremantle. It’s an area we both know and love, so finding a way to connect to the project from that perspective seemed second nature.
Designed by Rodney O'Byrne Design, large windows flood each of the rooms with natural light, while wood and stone are used to bring the outdoors in but knowing the clients as we do, I still wouldn’t suggest the aesthetic would change even if they were in a different location. Often, it’s the client’s vision of luxury living and the wish for the benefits of a very low carbon footprint that create a final and uniquely ‘them’ home.
Martha Street is no exception.
Ultimately; the end result was a minimalistic take on coastal mid-century modern - if there is such a thing.
HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?
Working with Rodney was one of the most enjoyable experiences for us as custom home builders because of his approach to design and detailing.
It meant the materials were allowed to be in their element and really hero the home, and because these materials were chosen for their simplicity, no fuss lines and tolerance to wear and tear, it meant the details in the construction had to be flawless. No pressure.
One of the big reasons the clients came to us in the first place was so that the home would be finished to the highest possible standards.
The truth is, Martha Street came at a time when we were really looking to sink our teeth into projects that held a bigger purpose than just building a home. What about the footprint?
Rodney had a huge wealth of experience and focus on sustainability and solar passive design which made this build special to us, and it has only helped shape our pathway and development of those principles even further.
THE FOOTPRINT.
When we talk about carbon footprint, there are a number of ways that this home and other sustainable homes can reduce their impact and improve lifestyle at the same time.
Essentially; you are looking to negate as much carbon as possible. By calculating all of the collective energy used to produce a material or product, including mining, manufacturing, transport, and to build with, only then are you on your way to achieving a home that is truly low energy.
It’s an exercise that’s for sure and you need to look at it from all angles. Put this way, it’s easy to see why so many think it’s just too challenging, but finding the right crew to help you achieve it is really the best first step you can take.
For example, timber framed homes STORE Co2. Timber is easily transported and light in nature to work with making it a solid solution to work with where possible.
Martha Street has a heat pump ring main hot water system which enables instant hot water throughout the home, saving up to 10ltrs per occupant per day. Even though we only really have 2-3 cold months per year you’d be staggered at how much water loss the standard home suffers by running the tap till it’s warm. There’s not of that here! There is also no gas on site. Instead, an induction cooktop was installed, and all the electrical requirements are being offset by solar PV.
Solar orientation and cross ventilation are also paramount in the comfort of the home and despite being fitted with a fully ducted reverse cycled air-conditioning unit, the home is not reliant on this device for comfort. It doesn’t hurt that they have the Freo Doctor at their disposal on the regular.
Heavily insulated walls, high-performance glazing, and a good balance of thermal mass also provide great comfort.
OUR BUILD HIGHLIGHT.
The kitchen dining living and elevations are a real standout.
The open plan and breezy nature of the place never gets old no matter how many times we build to that formula. This one just has something special maybe because it just oozes that Freo-esqee lifestyle we appreciate so much.
That said, it’s also hard not to just appreciate the calm of the home and minimal intrusion of ‘things’. It’s so easy to clutter and go with more, but low carbon footprint aside, the whole aesthetic of the home really has become something of an Arklen signature.
OUR FAVOURITE POST FROM THE GRAM.
OK, so two of our favourite posts from the gram!
The northern internal courtyard of this C-shaped home provides an extension of the kitchen dining living space. It’s got to be one of the best examples of inside-outside living that we’ve built, ideal for life in WA climate.
The second post is a bit of a humble brag, because if you can’t be proud of your awards who can [ plus, this sleek bathroom just screams “we live in Beaconsfield on the border of South Fremantle” !! ].
Thanks for revisiting Martha Street with us.
It was one of our fondest experiences in building in the area and we want to keep coming back and reminding both ourselves and those following at home, that achieving those milestone forever homes is genuinely possible and we want to continue to see more clients achieving the same.
This project was fortunate enough to collect the 2017 - HIA Perth Housing Awards for :
Winner - Framed Home of the Year
Winner - Timber Framed Home $550k and over
2018 - MBA Perth Housing Awards :
Winner - Best Contract Home $550k - $650k
Next month’s newsletter will be our final for the year, so if you are not already on our list, hit the subscribe button and we’ll return one last time in to your inboxes shortly.
Images courtesy of Dion Robeson.
Architecture by Rodney O’Byrne Design