Law St House by Muir Mendes Architects

Muir Mendes is a newcomer on the architecture scene and Law Street House is its first and (so far) only project. Architects Amy Muir and Bruno Mendes displayed an exceptional level of care, thought and attention to detail in their building of Law Street House - which is little wonder, considering they built it to be their own home. Built part time on weekends, the house stands as a tribute to the passion and proficiency of architect owner-builders Muir and Mendes. It is a beautiful residence, which combines ultra-modern aesthetics with classic comfort and livability.

Law Street House is located at the site of a former 1880s one-bedroom workman cottage. Nestled into one of South Melbourne’s tiny single lane streets, flanked by a two-storey red brick house to the north and an ornamented timber cottage to the south, Law Street House’s stark black platesteel façade sits slightly back from its surroundings and almost appears to be hiding away. Its blank frontage and barely visible ‘draw-bridge’ window were designed with privacy in mind and yet, despite its attempts to hide from the street front, Law Street House is very noticeable.

None-the-less, Muir and Mendes achieved their purpose. Standing on the street gazing at Law Street House’s recessive black façade, it would be difficult to imagine the open, bright and inviting interior that lay behind it. Inside the house, however, is a different story. Skylights bathe its white walls and elegant tallow wood flooring in sunshine, which dances across the walls in moving patterns. Muir and Mendes used various methods to ensure that they were able to capture the largest possible amount of natural light. The enclosed cottage corridor, for example, was adapted to maximise the penetration of natural light whilst providing an aspect out of the confined space. While this abundance of natural light in Law Street House could easily become problematic in the warmer, brighter months, this has been countered by natural ventilation and the provision of a large camouflage net that is suspended over the main corridor in summer, reducing heat and glare.

Muir and Mendes deliberately copied some of the original features of the workman’s cottage, giving the house a sense of history and heritage that matches its surroundings. The façade, for example, carefully conceals the house’s second storey within the adjusted roof pitch, mimicking the form of the original cottage. It is formally designed to be a hybrid of the houses that sit on either side. Internally, in the Level 1 study area, the original rippling roof lines of the house are reproduced to great effect and give the room a sense of separation from the remainder of the house. The roof line continues to fold down to the rear of the house, where large windows open out onto a sunlit outdoor deck area. The rear façade is tilted to minimise overshadowing to the neighbouring properties.

The house is divided into two living zones, which each emphasise the principles of light and elegance. In each room, the bright white walls play against the natural beauty of the floorboards, while hints of black causally interject to provide depth and contrast. These hints of black also compliment the dark shadows that play against the wall during the day, and so create continuity in the colour scheme throughout the house, while hinting at Law Street House’s dark exterior. Occasionally, a flash of colour interrupts this chiaroscuro. A palm tree is visible through the full-length skylight, and one bedroom window is cleverly placed to display, like a picture framed in black, the wall of green that envelops the neighboring house.

It is hard to imagine that anything less than the zeal of two enthusiastic architects building their own home could have seen Law Street House built in three and a half years, on the weekends. Muir and Mendes were determined not to sit on the side lines, but to be involved in every part of the house’s construction. There were many obstacles to overcome, from termite problems to lack of rear access (the house was excavated by hand). They were not able to rely upon the specialised skills of a whole team of builders. Any skills they did not have, they had to learn. As a result, a thing sometimes had to be done two or three times before it was perfect and, ultimately, innovation was inevitable.

This painstaking process has evidently contributed to the meticulous precision, attention to detail and ingenuity that has made Law Street House such a success. The resultant residence speaks to the personal vision of these architects, which is what makes it so unique. Law Street House may not be the largest project this new firm will ever complete, but on a personal level it seems set to be the most significant. Its unquestionable artistic merit and exceptional design will reward these architects for years to come.+

PHOTOGRAPHY Peter Bennetts 

1. Planked wood flooring meets cold, hard steel and results in the ultramodern look of Law Street House.

2. A beautiful play of light. A double-height corridor allows the penetration of light into the house and provides a view of the sky and a palm tree, drawing the gaze beyond its sharp, angular interior.

3. Natural light dances across the walls of the house in mesmerising patterns.

4. Architects Muir and Mendes’ preference for minimalist, simple design is evident in their choice of an unadorned, clutter-free bathroom area.

5. Rippling roof-lines mimic the lines of the site’s original workmans cottage.