Step inside the perforated-brick Barrett's Grove, designed by Amin Taha + Groupwork

The six-story building has large bronzed windows and wicker woven-steel balconies that appear to pop up from its street-facing facade, which is enveloped in perforated brickwork.

“The tall red brick gable facing the street is formed by a 1-bedroom apartment with a second smaller block at the rear to create the second 2-bedroom plan,” the architects describe. “The double stacked and open bond of brickwork states the envelope is not loadbearing (of the superstructure), but a screen enveloping the whole building and the roof.”

“The project required a comprehensive understanding of the [structural properties of the different building materials], as well as careful detailing because many of the structural loadbearing elements are exposed,” the architects explain. Inside, the cross-laminated timber serves as the superstructure of the walls, floors, and roof, and the construction joints were left exposed.

The architects built the housing block with CLT as a more sustainable option, therefore eliminating the need for things like plasterboarded walls, suspended ceilings, tiling, paint, and skirtings, while also creating a warmer interior atmosphere throughout the home.  Other interior details include window seats, timber cabinetry and full-height doors with either leather handles or metal locks.