Little Brick House, Northcote

Measuring just 60 square metres per floor, the two-storey home feels anything but cramped. Instead, it’s open and deeply connected to its surroundings. “The core idea of this house is very much striving for this considered simplicity,” says Ben Callery. “To make a house that’s so compact still work and feel spacious and livable and lovable requires some architectural ideas.”

Maddy’s brief was practical and personal: to create a long-term home that allowed her to stay connected to her family and neighbourhood, while also being easy to live in as she got older.

“Maddy and Michael’s brief was quite unique but actually something we’re hearing more of,” says Callery. “It addresses a lot of topical issues: aging in place, increasing density, housing affordability and sustainability, both in terms of the environmental impact of building and living in our homes, but also in terms of staying connected to community.”

Downstairs, the layout is designed with the future in mind. A front guest room is set up to become Maddy’s main bedroom over time, while a generous bathroom and compact laundry are tucked neatly into the plan.

At the rear, the main living area opens wide to a courtyard garden, blurring the line between indoors and out. Upstairs is a second living space and study that faces the street, and a peaceful bedroom at the back nestled in the canopy of a beautiful gum tree. “It has a lovely sense of tranquility,” says Callery. “It floats in the leaves and branches of this beautiful established gum tree.”

The home is both energy-efficient and environmentally conscious. It runs entirely on electricity and produces much of its own power with rooftop solar panels. Thick brick walls help regulate internal temperatures, and high-performance windows reduce the need for artificial heating and cooling.

“Obviously sustainability is important in all of our work,” explains Callery. “Big picture, a project like this—increasing the density—is a more sustainable use of our land, both environmentally and socially.”

Materials were also carefully considered. Recycled bricks give the home a sense of texture and durability, while natural Australian timbers bring warmth and a strong connection to place.

“The timber floors and timber cabinetry are really nice natural materials against that quite hard brick,” Callery says. “They’re very tactile and reinforce that connection with nature that we have with the courtyard. Our approach is very much wanting materials to be of this place.”

Clever design choices help the small space feel more generous, like full-height windows and doors that open fully onto the courtyard, and furniture lifted off the ground to create a sense of flow.

“Inside, giving it a sense of space that’s far greater than its modest footprint is a challenge,” Callery explains. “Ideas like the raised island bench and floating cabinetry help the space feel bigger than what it actually is.”

And for Callery, simplicity is part of the charm. “There’s something beautiful about little houses,” he says. “They are often very endearing, and simplicity only enhances that. That doesn’t mean stripping everything back, we can still have warmth and tactility and natural materials, but we don’t need to overcomplicate things.”

Selecting Sun Shading

A key part of the design was managing the strong afternoon sun from the west. Maddy wanted upstairs windows facing the street so she could stay visually connected to the neighbourhood, but that orientation came with a risk of overheating in summer.

“Facing west, these windows would provide lovely light in cooler months,” explains Callery, “but would be at risk of overheating in summer as the late afternoon sun streams in.”

The solution came in the form of operable Warema external venetian blinds from Shade Factor: sleek and adjustable, they respond to the changing light throughout the day.

“They allow full control of the late afternoon western sun,” says Callery. “You can lift them to let in light and views, tilt them to manage glare, or close them completely to block out heat, while still keeping a visual connection to the street.”

Beyond comfort, the blinds bring a subtle dynamism to the home’s street-facing facade. “They were essential in enabling us to provide Maddy the interaction with the street that she wanted, while still being able to deliver the passive solar design that we and Maddy valued.

“They also provide a lovely animation to the facade as blinds go up and down daily and seasonally, demonstrating the house’s interaction with the environment.”

Discreetly recessed into the brickwork and operated by remote control, the blinds are as practical as they are elegant. “They’re a lovely, refined product,” says Callery. “And the way they sit flush with the walls gives a really simple, elegant finish.”