Architecture, Interiors, Model Making & Furniture Design
Small in Scale, Not in Ambition
Residential architecture | Modular & prefabricated architecture
2nd Space explores how thoughtful architecture can transform a compact footprint into a flexible and comfortable home. Through modular construction, intelligent planning, passive design principles and carefully considered detail, the project provides an adaptable second living space for contemporary residential life.
Conceived as a compact response to changing household needs, the dwelling can accommodate guests, grandparents, teenagers, a home office or independent rental accommodation. This was one of my favourite projects during my time at Arkistruct, where I had the opportunity to work alongside a talented and collaborative team.
The central idea behind 2nd Space was simple: a smaller dwelling should not mean a lesser quality of living. The design explores how a compact footprint can be made to feel generous through careful planning, spatial efficiency and considered connections between interior and exterior.
Every element was required to perform a purpose. The arrangement of rooms, placement of windows, storage, circulation and material selection were considered together to create an environment that is efficient without feeling compressed. The design demonstrates that architectural quality does not necessarily depend on size. It can emerge through proportion, light, functionality and attention to detail.
Small in scale, not in ambition.
The dwelling drawn in three dimensionsClerestory glazing above, sliding doors below.
The main living area combines lounge, dining, kitchen and study functions within a single open-plan environment. Rather than allocating a separate room to every activity, the design allows different functions to overlap and adapt according to the needs of the occupants.
This creates a flexible dwelling capable of changing over time — from a private residence to guest accommodation, a teenage retreat, a home office or an independent rental space. Integrated storage and carefully positioned openings help maintain a sense of openness while ensuring that the relatively compact footprint remains practical for everyday living. The intention was to create flexibility without sacrificing comfort.
Lounge, dining, kitchen and study held in one room, with full-height joinery doing the work of a wall.
One of the architectural details I particularly enjoyed exploring was the use of different window heights throughout the dwelling. Rather than establishing a uniform window line, each opening responds to the function and privacy requirements of its particular room.
These variations demonstrate how window placement can simultaneously address function, privacy, daylight and landscape. The windows therefore become part of the architectural composition rather than simply openings within the wall.
The same wall tested light and darkThree openings, three different heights, each set by the room behind it.
The kitchen window at bench height, seen from the path.
The building envelope was developed to allow the dwelling to respond to different architectural contexts through a range of cladding options — Shadowclad, 10 mm magnesium oxide board, and Scyon Axon fibre-cement vertical panels.
Where MGO board was used, 35 × 42 mm DAR timber battens could be applied over the envelope to articulate the façade and conceal panel joints. The spacing of the battens could be adjusted to establish different visual rhythms while responding to construction requirements: in the example shown they sit at approximately 300 mm centres, with the system also allowing roughly 900 mm spacing where required to align with and conceal panel joints.
Around the aluminium sliding doors, architraves could be finished in either stained F27 hardwood or primed and painted finger-jointed pine.
Left: painted Shadowclad with timber battens. Right: James Hardie Scyon Axon with painted marine ply and Shadowclad, battened.
Painted Shadowclad with timber battens, painted Scyon Axon FC panels, and hardwood architrave to the aluminium sliding doors.
Details matter.
Prefabrication was fundamental to the 2nd Space concept. The dwelling was designed to be manufactured and substantially prepared off-site before being transported to the residential site for installation. This approach allowed the construction process to be carefully coordinated while reducing the amount of work required on site.
The modular methodology demonstrated how additional residential accommodation could potentially be delivered efficiently, with the dwelling capable of being installed on site in approximately six weeks. The project therefore explored not only what a compact home could look like, but also how it could be efficiently delivered.
The construction process reveals the relationship between the architectural concept and the physical building. Particularly significant is the installation of the 35 × 42 mm DAR timber battens over the MGO building envelope, including their integration around window openings and across the façade.
Although these elements are relatively small in scale, they have a significant influence on the final architectural character of the dwelling. Joint alignment, spacing, edge conditions and material transitions all contribute to the overall resolution of the building.
Architecture is often found in the details.
Environmental responsiveness was incorporated through a range of passive and sustainable strategies: passive solar design, natural daylight and ventilation, energy-efficient design principles, water conservation, material efficiency, environmentally responsible material selection, and careful orientation and placement of openings.
The intention was to create a dwelling that provides comfort and quality of life while reducing unnecessary reliance on mechanical systems and excessive material consumption.
The bedroom incorporates a low-level window, providing natural daylight and a carefully framed connection to the garden while maintaining privacy. Warm timber elements and restrained furnishings contribute to a comfortable and intimate interior.
The compact bathroom incorporates shower and toilet facilities, while the adjacent laundry cabinetry integrates the washing machine and dryer discreetly within the interior. The arrangement demonstrates the project’s broader philosophy of making every part of a compact dwelling work efficiently.
The high-level window and the rooflight bring daylight in without giving up privacy.
Furniture was selected to complement the architectural character of the dwelling without competing with it — a George Nelson coffee table and an Isamu Noguchi Cyclone dining table, both replicas from Newstead, a timber-slat bedhead from IKEA, and soft furnishings from Pillow Talk.
Kitchen details, 1:20open it full size ↗
Bathroom details, 1:20Waterproofing, slip resistance and noggings for future grab rails all set out. Open it full size ↗
The completed 2nd Space demonstrates how compact architecture can provide generous living through intelligent planning rather than simply through additional floor area. The project brings together modular construction, flexible planning, passive environmental strategies, carefully positioned openings and detailed material resolution.
From the overall organisation of the dwelling to the smallest junction between cladding, battens and openings, each decision contributes to the whole. The result is a dwelling that is compact, adaptable and carefully resolved, demonstrating that architectural quality can be achieved at every scale.
My architectural practice developed a lasting appreciation for form, proportion, structure, materiality and three-dimensional space. Projects such as 2nd Space taught me to look closely at how individual elements come together to create a cohesive whole — how proportion affects perception, how light transforms a surface, and how small details contribute to the character of an entire object.
These principles continue to influence the way I approach sculpture today.
Details matter.
In architecture, small decisions shape the experience of the whole — and the same is true of a sculpture built by hand.
For enquiries, please contact lee.anchor@optusnet.com.au.