Ackmans Residence is a conversion of a historic Melbourne warehouse into an interior-city dwelling. The venture revolves around the heritage fabric of the current creating revealing, framing and foregrounding its texture and tactility.
When we peeled again the layers of the existing warehouse to its core, a patchwork of bluestone, brick and timber trusses have been revealed. The texture, tactility and history of these products was so persuasive and comprehensive of character that it was obvious any addition wanted to be complementary and recessive.
The idea for the venture was to ‘nest’ sorts inside of the shell of the current creating. Kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and providers are organised into a collection of scaled-down pods, housed within the overall quantity of the warehouse container.
These pods are loosely offset from the edges of the warehouse partitions to protect the heritage cloth of the current building. The interstitial areas between the new insertions and the outer shell turn into casual living areas, spots to dwell and circulation spaces – invoking a dialogue between the aged and the new.
Crew: Rob Kennon, Maia Cookson Collaborators: Marino Constructions, Metro Creating Surveying, Meyer Consulting, Jaydee Metal Photographer: Derek Swalwell
