Description

Stack & Field is a home designed for a tight inner-city block common in Melbourne's established suburbs.

The design for this family home aims to achieve the generosity and ease we expect from our homes by turning a compact shape into layered forms and courtyards. This brings in daylight and fresh air and maintains a real connection to outdoor space. The result is a home that feels open and generous without relying on size to achieve it.

A sequence of indoor and outdoor spaces means the home can adapt easily to changing family needs. It offers spaces for gathering as well as privacy in a more dense neighbourhood.

Stack & Field offers a practical demonstration of how thoughtful planning, passive design and spatial efficiency can deliver long-term liveability, more amenity and lower costs, and how the underlying principles can offer a replicable model for small urban sites to build less, share more and design for long-term comfort.

What's On

Join architect Steffen Welsch for a presentation on sustainable home design, followed by a guided tour. We’ll explain how we made a compact space feel generous and comfortable and how sustainability drove design decisions—from maximising solar access and optimising cross-ventilation to mitigating urban heat island effects and building an energy-efficient fabric.

The house showcases a bold approach to deliberate restraint: fragmenting built form, stacking functions, and balancing room size with functional outdoor space. There will be drawings and models on display, and an informal Q&A to follow.

Children's Activities

Young visitors can complete their own colouring-in drawing or do a connect-the-dots puzzle of the house as a fun way to explore how homes are designed and built.

In Collaboration With:

• 

  Steffen Welsch of Welsch Studio

  Steffen Welsch is the Principal of Welsch Studio, an award-winning Melbourne-based practice specialising in residential, educational and community architecture. With over thirty years of experience, his work is known for its clarity, restraint and strong commitment to environmental and social responsibility.
  
  Growing up in East Germany, Steffen came to architecture via an unconventional path. He studied at the former Bauhaus School, worked in Vienna and London and later migrated to Australia. His international education and cross-continental practice continue to inform a design approach that is deeply contextual, culturally attuned and attentive to the long-term consequences of building.
  
  Since founding his practice in 2003, Steffen has embedded sustainability, climate action and biodiversity care into every stage of project delivery. He sees sustainability not as static but as a discipline of focus and continual learning. His work aims for low-carbon, high-performance material systems—including rammed earth, bio-based and recycled materials—for low-impact operation and longevity beyond conventional life-cycle assumptions.
  
  Asked about style, Steffen often cites Austrian architect Hermann Czech: “Architecture is background, and a building should only speak when it is spoken to.” In his view, buildings are enablers—quiet frameworks that support social, cultural and economic life even as they improve ecological outcomes on and beyond the site.
  
  Alongside his practice, Steffen maintains a strong commitment to advocacy and community engagement. He co-founded a bilingual primary school in Melbourne and also Australian Architects Declare, an organisation committed to reducing carbon emissions and restoring biodiversity through architectural practice.

• 

  Amanda Tiernan of Neutral Instinct

  Neutral Instinct is an interior design studio led by Founder and Creative Director Amanda Tiernan, whose instinct-led and thoughtfully refined approach defines the studio’s work across residential and commercial spaces. Amanda brings a deep sensitivity to detail, shaping environments that feel considered, intentional and aligned to the people who experience them.

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  Courtney Thompson of Simplifi Projects

  With a strong foundation in the building industry, Courtney is passionate about making the design and construction process clear, accessible, and stress-free for her clients.
  
  She holds university qualifications in both Interior Design and Project Management, and her career has spanned a wide range of high-end residential projects valued between $1 million and $14 million. Throughout these projects, she's had the privilege of working closely with architects, interior designers, and skilled tradespeople to deliver work of the highest standard.
  
  Her expertise lies in guiding clients through every stage of their project providing mentorship, clarity, and confidence from concept to completion. She offers strategic advice on project costing, value management, scheduling, and the execution of complex design details, ensuring a seamless and efficient process.
  
  Her goal is to empower clients with the tools, knowledge, and support they need to make informed decisions. Through clear communication and hands-on guidance, she strives to deliver exceptional outcomes and a positive, low-stress building experience.