This "Upside-Down" House in Melbourne Shifts Shape to Accommodate a Family of Seven

When a couple with five sons between 13 and 20 approached Cloud Architecture to build a new home on a narrow site in Melbourne’s Inner North, flexibility was at the heart of the brief. "With so many growing boys at home at the time of building, the client wanted a property that would meet immediate needs, whilst offering flexibility to provide a feeling of intimacy for the couple in years to come," says Brendan Jones, the firm’s director.

In creating a home that by most standards would be considered small for seven residents, balancing public spaces with more secluded ones was also a concern. "We needed a house that could provide our sons—and us—with much needed privacy, without breaking the bank," recalls the client. "We also wanted a home which maximized the wonderful sighting adjacent to the local footy oval."