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| Project Name: |
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Richmond Warehouse Development
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| Architect(s): |
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Nicholas Dour Architects
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| Builder(s): |
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Timber Flooring / Decking Contractor:
Be Floored
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| Product(s) Used: |
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F17 structural hardwood for bearers and joists
108 x 19mm solid strip flooring, Species: Blackbutt |
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The gutted shell of a 1930s knitting factory was the blank canvas that Melbourne architect, Nicholas Dour, and owner builder, Mark Millers, had to work with when developing the design for this modern warehouse apartment in inner city Melbourne.
Owner and builder Mark Millers and his wife Fiona Dobell briefed Nicholas to design an open plan apartment that retained the warehouse heritage of the building while making the most of the natural light available. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a study were also included in the brief.
The result is an ultra-modern living environment with a strong sense of space. The main entrance leads into a large open plan lounge, dining and kitchen space with 4500mm raked ceilings featuring original exposed steel trusses and old structural beams.
The office and the kitchen are designed to be separate functional spaces without detracting from the overall sense of scale in the main living area. The office in particular is elevated on a mezzanine level and discreetly placed behind a feature wall which houses the entertainment system. This creates a separate area without diminishing the volume of space in the room. From the main living space, a hallway runs to the light-filled bedrooms and bathrooms. The original warehouse windows with their old fashioned sashes were retained throughout and the whole apartment enjoys the southern aspect of the building.
The floor level of the warehouse was built up approximately 140mm higher than the original slab with F17 hardwood bearers and joists. This allowed for plumbing and electricity services to be run below the floor surface and also provided the perfect subfloor for solid hardwood timber flooring.
"I wanted to use solid hardwood for the subfloor structure because of its superior density," said Mark. "It was important that the floor be very firm under foot without any give in the subfloor." Boral 19mm solid strip flooring was glued and nailed over a layer of particleboard flooring and finished with an oil based polyurethane satin finish.
Nicholas specified 108mm wide Blackbutt flooring in Australiana grade. "My clients wanted a wide flooring board to continue the warehouse feel and to suit the scale of the apartment," he said. "Boral’s 108mm wide boards in Australiana grade provided this solution."
Australiana Grade is distinguished by a moderate level of gum veins, spirals, burls, insect trails and other natural variations that give timber floors a unique character as individual as a signature. This grade is like a chronicle of forest history including bush fires, insect trails and the natural variations that appear in the colour and grain of native hardwoods.
Blackbutt was specified because it is a mid-tone colour in the broad palette of species available from Boral Timber Flooring and provides a stunning contrast between the large expanse of timber flooring and the white washed walls and ceilings.
The floor boards were run parallel to the hallway walls to increase the optical length of the apartment and the kitchen bench was raised at floor level so that the hardwood timber floor could be seen as one uninterrupted expanse of warm, natural colour in contrast to the white stone and brushed chrome kitchen.
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