What does home mean? Especially in the context of family? Austin Maynard Architects sought to find out. Its Alphington Tower House is more a meditation on the occupants of space than the space itself. How do we create architecture to accommodate people? Can adults and children share a dwelling that allows them growth, social nourishment? And if yes, how?

The answer? Nature. This home shelters 8-year-old twin boys who needed an outlet for nature, outdoor recreation, and the arts. Which explains why the Alphington Tower House appears as a series of small structures on the exterior. Each one, unique in size and shape, come together in a single material palette for a coherent overall aesthetic.

Turning the concept of outdoors on its head, the house invites neighbors rather than gate them out with boundaries. As such, the front yard becomes a communal garden. A space everyone can occupy, fostering a sense of communal bond even between strangers.

This is also reflected inside. Whereas the exterior look seem to be disparate parts integrated together, the interiors feature free-flowing, cavernous pockets. Hidden sliding panels open up portals to interaction; each much about discovery as they are connection. Whereas minimalist design sometimes becomes the thing admired, here it’s merely a means to an end. Each object has a purpose. Each hole, ladder, flooring detail, is for something.

One final highlight deserving mention is a hideaway rooftop that’s free of definition. It could be for high-altitude BBQs. Or finger painting sessions. Maybe even sculpting in the summer. Whichever, the space lets the kids explore whatever they intend to dip their toes into.

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Photos courtesy of Peter Bennetts