Tan Architecture

20/10/2025

Study at Melville.

Photography: .xyz
Art direction:

17/10/2025

I’ve received some questions about the bike garage at Melville. Here are a couple of photos (and plan for reference) showing it in more detail. Bikes go in through the garage entry off the footpath, and the bike garage is connected to the main entry vestibule through a sliding door. Like other spaces in the house, it’s compact, but it works!

13/10/2025

Melville has been featured in ! Many thanks to Bea Taylor and Christina Karras for the write-up. Link to the article in my profile.

02/10/2025

Bathroom in Melville – a quiet and insulated space with lots of natural light and a view to the sky.

Photography: .xyz
Art direction:

28/09/2025

Kitchen and dining area in Melville. The construction industry was experiencing shortages of labour and materials at the time, so I selected finishes that were readily available, cost-effective, and straightforward to install. Timber details and flooring help to soften the minimal palette.

More photos and info about this project in previous posts and on my website.

Photography: .xyz
Art direction:

25/09/2025

The ground floor living areas in Melville feel bigger than their footprints might suggest, with 2.8m ceilings and plenty of natural light. Upon entry, one may step into or past the front lounge and through to the kitchen, dining, and garden at the rear. Thanks to the brick exterior, good windows with thick double-glazing, and sensible spatial arrangement, the interior remains tranquil despite a busy road and tram line out front.

More photos and info about this project in previous posts and on my website.

Photography: .xyz
Art direction:

24/09/2025

One of my key objectives in designing Melville was to provide as much outdoor space as practicable given the diminutive lot. The land-locked site turned out to be ideal for creating a quiet walled garden at the rear, visually and acoustically protected from the busy road in front. Going up three storeys, we had ample room left over for a generous roof deck with fantastic city views. With a good 60m² of outdoor area on a 90m² site, I consider the objective met.

More photos and info about this project in previous posts and on my website.

Photography: .xyz
Art direction:

23/09/2025

Exterior shots of ‘Melville’, taken by Tom Ross. The 6×15m site was not the easiest to build on, but I’m really happy with how we made use of the available space. More info about the project on my website.

23/09/2025

31/10/2023

‘Can we fit a house for my parents in the back yard?' Of course we can! This compact dwelling, 58m² over two storeys on a 69m² lot, came to be known as ‘The Back House’ by the family that collectively occupied it and the older Californian Bungalow in front. It allowed owner and parents, grandkids and grandparents to live closely and support each other. By all accounts, the new house works really well. It stays warm through winter, has loads of natural light, and ‘never feels small’. The owners built it themselves, and I’m really happy with their ex*****on and intepretation of the design, not to mention tremendously proud of what they have achieved.

Many thanks to Claire, Michael, Rick, and Mandy for a very memorable project, and really for being such wonderful people. Thanks also goes out to Merri-bek City Council for supporting high-quality densification and fewer cars.

More photos and info at https://tanarc.au

Photography: Adam O'Sullivan Photography
Structural engineer: Robin Bliem and Associates
Building surveyor: Metro Building Surveying

14/09/2023

Loved working with the guys from .beast on the joinery for our office fit-out last year. Here’s an early sketch I did based on their concept drawings, where we’re starting to flesh out dimensions, experiment with layout, and resolve details e.g. how to conceal the existing pipe in the corner. The final layout was different again, and that’s just how it goes!