These Sustainable 'Townhouse-Style' Apartments Are Designed With Families in Mind

Many cities around the world struggle with the environmental and socioeconomic problems associated with urban sprawl—such as loss of wildlife habitats and arable land for growing food, increased pollution from longer commutes, and divestment out of urban centers as more and more people moved out to the suburbs.

One potential solution to urban sprawl is diversifying the kind of housing stock we have in cities, which can help increase urban density, and perhaps also offer more affordable housing options to potential homebuyers. This is what has been called "the missing middle" or "distributed density"—we need more duplexes, triplexes, courtyard apartments, and townhouses—a whole range of diverse housing options that sit in between detached single-family homes and apartments.

Even better, some of this missing-middle housing might be created out of existing urban buildings, as it has been in this readaptation of a former warehouse building into 11 "townhouse-style" apartments by Melbourne-based firms DREAMER and Breathe Architecture. We can see how these townhomes are designed with light, fresh air, and sustainable family living in mind via this short tour from Simple Dwelling:

The original red-brick building dates back to the 1930s and sits in Brunswick, one of Melbourne's inner suburban neighborhoods. The goal of the project was to provide a missing middle alternative to the single-family home right here in the city, say the architects:

"With the densification of inner suburban areas, an increasingly critical component of successful city-making, 388 Barkly Street aimed to create a generous and high-quality variation of multi-residential housing that could offer an attractive alternative to the suburban family home."

The project consists of a variety of configurations, including two one-bedroom apartments, four two-bedroom apartments, and six three-bedroom apartments. The exterior brick-line facade has been kept mostly untouched as a nod to the building's working-class roots.

Nevertheless, there have been some impressive updates: the building has now been renovated for improved energy efficiency and is partially powered by a large 39-kilowatt solar array. There are also heat pumps installed, and a greywater treatment system on-site to recycle the water that comes from washing clothes and dishes so that it can water the native plants in the courtyard garden.

Inside, we come into a cave-like entry corridor that leads to a sunken courtyard beyond. This courtyard helps to increase natural ventilation between the units while also providing some protected green space for plants and urban wildlife. There is access to bike parking here, as well as parking for cars, with each spot equipped with an electric vehicle charger.

This inner courtyard opens up to provide access to all the units, and here we see wooden ribs extending a vertical pattern over exterior walls clad with grey fiber cement sheets.

Stepping inside a three-bedroom apartment, we see a staircase leading up to the floor above. To the left is the master bedroom and an ensuite bathroom, and beyond lies the other main living spaces, like the kitchen and living room.

The kitchen has been done in a minimalist black, providing a sleek contrast to the warm wooden tones of the kitchen island, which offers central spot for preparing food, washing dishes, and socializing as a family. The walls have been painted a subtle, warm gray, rather than a bright white, while FSC-certified wood and recycled wood has been used to cover the floors or cabinets. Overhead, a light well lets sunlight in, creating a soothing, contemplative atmosphere.

The rest of the main living space features this dining area, lit by a suspended lamp. There is also ample space for a couch and chairs intended for a family to gather and sit.

A wall of glass divides the main living space from the outdoor terrace while still permitting a sense that the interior is connected to the outside.

Upstairs, we have two other bedrooms, and another bathroom.

The bedrooms are quite spacious, and have plenty storage for clothing and other items.

There is also a study, which is lit by natural light coming in from the same light well that illuminates the kitchen.

The problem of urban sprawl is complex and will likely require a multi-pronged solution that encompasses not only diversifying housing but also boosting public transportation and rethinking zoning. Denser urban living is key to reducing our carbon footprint, and for architect and director of DREAMER, Ben Shields, "townhouse-style" apartments such as those at 388 Barkly are one way to achieve that:

"Some of the ways that living in an apartment might be beneficial in terms of climate change would be they require less materials to build, they use a bit less energy, people in apartments are more likely to be close to the city, so there's more opportunity for them to use public transport, to ride and to walk around the place, but in addition to that, people just tend to live a bit smaller. So there's a change in mindset—people are buying less stuff, people are using less energy, and wrapping their head around the fact that you actually can't fit everything you might want into an apartment can also help people to just live a little more modestly."