The buzzworthy Two Pavilion house built by David Toussaint and Kirsty Volz in Clayfield has been gaining some attention for all the right reasons.
Carefully designed to fit the challenging site, the 5.5-metre wide house is the family’s way of demonstrating design and architectural solutions for affordable housing. The Two Pavilion house is built on a 317-square-metre land that the family bought for $250,000, a fairly low price considering its Clayfield location.
While other people seem to find it difficult, and almost impossible, to build a three-bedroom house in the small Clayfield block, David and Kristy, with their combined 30 years of experience in architecture, put their creativity at work as they crafted innovative solutions to build their dream home. The family worked with builder Thallon Mole Group to make the unique modern house become a reality.
The creative homeowners decided to split the house into two pavilions (hence the name) to create a courtyard that provides daylight and natural ventilation. The other half offers flexible arrangements. This allows the entire home to either be a single detached, three-bedroom unit or a two-bedroom home with a separate space that can serve as a home office, or a second living space.
The Two Pavilion house leaves a small footprint while providing a variety of living spaces. The materials used in its construction were carefully selected to minimise the cost and environmental impact of the build.
David and Kristy hope that the Two Pavilion house will show how contemporary design and architecture can help in solving social problems such as housing affordability.