The Bach Pad apartment in Melbourne's south interprets The idea of masculinity through contemporary lenses and coastal environments. Located in the Hamptons, the home is surrounded by an urban fabric that combines historic and contemporary architecture and sits comfortably behind a massive glass facade.

The blue hue of the surrounding glass sleeve is designed by referencing the nearby sea and sky, while the reflective mass of the surface absorbs and echoes what is happening around it. Combining dark and textured elements, Merrylees Architecture proposes a low-maintenance robustness home layered with some surprising gestures.

Despite its constrained site, the home optimises the available space through the creation of open floor plates over its multiple levels, where a central mesh stair connects and encourages movement vertically. The central corridor allows for light to pass through the space without interrupting sightlines and adds a feature for light to cast shadows as it passes.

Designed for its bachelor owner, the approach takes the more traditional notions of what such a space should embody, adding modern and refined touches and elevating the spaces in the process. By integrating smart systems that enhance everyday functionality, there is an accompanying self-sustaining essence to the home through solar powering and its associated battery for energy storage.