A Multigenerational Home Complete With Vegetable Gardens Rises in Central Melbourne

"Terracotta House is no ordinary granny flat," explains architect Andrew Maynard. "Architectural, highly detailed, and beautiful, it is multigenerational living, but acting in reverse." A client seeking to help her son and his wife commissioned the build in the vibrant Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, allowing the three of them to live comfortably in an area they otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford.

The client, Belinda, reached out to award-winning firm Austin Maynard Architects with a clear idea. "Her priority was to have a big veggie garden and a [farmhouse-style home] while remaining in the city," says Maynard. After finding an inner suburban cottage in a community-spirited enclave, the architects quickly got to work.

"We built a new home for her at the rear of the block and renovated the original house at the front for her son’s family to live in," says Maynard. Between the two cottages, the team designed a large garden and communal pavilion, which Belinda regards as "the soul of her home."