Dual occupancy homes are a hot trend in Australia that, for many reasons, shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. One of the many great advantages of dual occupancy homes is how they can, when designed and built by an experienced dual occupancy home developer, seamlessly blend form and function to create a beautiful place to call home (or to let, or both!)
The Appeal of Dual Occupancy Homes in Australia
Blending form and function in built spaces is one of the core functions of an architect and striking the right balance is key to creating beautiful and aesthetically pleasing spaces that are also versatile and, well, functional.
Dual occupancy homes are popular in Australia primarily because they make the best possible use of land, something that can be quite scarce (read: expensive) in urban centres such as Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. By subdividing a plot of land into two units, the owner can choose to live in one whilst renting out the other, using the secondary unit as a sort of granny flat, or simply as an investment opportunity in what is generally seen as a stable investment – real estate.
Aesthetic Beauty & Architectural Styles of Dual Occupancy Homes
Contemporary designs tend to lend quite well to dual occupancy home building, as contemporary architecture can be quite versatile and that is an important consideration since space constraints are half (or some ratio) of what you’d have on one unsubdivided plot of land. In other words, the design possibilities are versatile enough to provide necessary function such as ample patio space, spacious living rooms, adequate natural sunlight, and so on, whilst enabling a nearly endless amount of design choices for aesthetic beauty.
Practical & Versatile Function of Dual Occupancy Homes
While it’s impossible to have a home that is purely built on aesthetics as some amount of function is obviously necessary, the opposite (well, approaching pure function as much as possible) can be seen in styles such as brutalist architecture.
Hated in the 1970s as an ugly duckling and mostly reserved for non-domestic buildings (e.g. The Harold Holt Swimming Centre in Melbourne), brutalist architecture never really caught on for residential purposes aside from a handful of homes (e.g. Fletcher House – 3 Roslyn Street, Brighton).
Most dual occupancy homes today in Melbourne are fortunately a lot more pleasing whilst being fully versatile and functional, such as the modern, contemporary, and Victorian style homes built by Trevor Homes.
Blending Form and Function Seamlessly
What is the right balance to strike between form and function for a dual occupancy home? Well, that is a highly subjective question with answers that will ultimately come down to the preferences of each individual property owner.
Generally, modern and contemporary homes with a slant towards minimalist design tend to offer a healthy balance between maximising function on subdivided plots of land with aesthetically pleasing elements. More elaborate styles could also work, your choices should never feel too limited. See our designs for examples of our dual occupancy built projects across Australia.
How to Design Your Dream Dual Occupancy Home
Settling on an ideal design for your dual occupancy home should be done with planning and plenty of forethought. For these reasons and many more, specifically for the often complex processes involved with dual occupancy home development, it is essential to choose a reputable and experienced dual occupancy home developer such as Trevor Homes.
Trevor Homes
Design and build your dream home with Trevor Homes.
