A compact home with a sustainable focus, this Melville custom build from Arklen uses a functional layout with smart design to create a resort style ambience.

The 160sqm home was designed for optimal site orientation, and Arklen Managing Director Mark Diedricks said the block was just the right fit.

“We were pretty lucky because the orientation of the block really suited the custom design, as we focused heavily on a C-shape design for the home,” he said.

“The shape of the home gives the homeowners plenty of exposure to the north, but allows the home privacy from others.”

The home is constructed around the internal courtyard, which forms its distinctive C-shape.

Homeowner Jackie Burdett said she wanted to be on holiday at home every day, and the design to incorporate a relaxed, Palm Springs resort vibe. “I wanted to walk up to my front door and be able to see the swimming pool,” she said.

The main bedroom flanks this courtyard and takes advantage of the view with floor-to-ceiling windows while capturing a westerly sea breeze.

An open-plan living and kitchen area also make the most of the courtyard as it seamlessly flows from the outside in.

Mrs Burdett said the home was the perfect downsize.

“There were two of us living on a big block with a giant garden and large pool. We lived at our previous home for 35 years, and now our children are all grown up and live out of home, we don’t need so much space,” she said.

When guests stay, the detached guest bedroom sitting opposite the main bedroom offers privacy and a villa-style stay punctuated by the pool view and cantilevered roof connecting to the living area, creating a sheltered alfresco area.

The homeowners also sought an environmentally conscious home. The custom build utilised reverse brick veneer construction to take advantage of the thermal mass, while the rest of the home was built with a heavily insulated timber-framed roof and walls, and aluminium-framed highperformance glazed doors and windows.

The home’s 6.1 NatHERS rating and a 74 per cent saving on carbon dioxide when compared to a standard benchmark home are the icing on the cake.