An Architect's Mixed-Use Apartment For His Family of Four

Melbourne-based architect Chris Megowan of Megowan Architectural initially designed his apartment for just his wife and himself, however, that changed when they found out they were having twins. What stayed the same was the desire to live and work in the same building, so his architecture practice's office sits below his apartment.
This development isn't like most conventional buildings that stack apartments on top of each other, rather they intersect and have multiple levels individually, creating an almost Tetris-like arrangement. For his own apartment, Chris went with robust and hard-wearing materials for the interior, avoiding having a museum-like home which you're worried to live in with a family.
Website article with photographs and floor plans;
thedesignemotive.com/episodes...
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Megowan
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Produced by The Design Emotive
Filmed and Edited by The Design Emotive / Anthony Richardson
#ApartmentDesign #HomeDesign #InteriorDesign #HouseTour #HomeTour

[@iamkarmenvolmink]

Would love to see an actual tour of the entire house. It looks amazing.. Please consider! :)

[@zupi.e]

Agree I feel a bit cheated. From the front it looks like a tiny house and the back looks like a typical suburban new build in US or Canada. Such a tease, now I am searching Google maps for street or satellite images of this house.

[@Finance-Food-and-Freetime]

I think he said it’s a flat that’s just part of that whole building

[@SimpleDwelling]

Hi Karmen, I've been in hard lockdown here in Melbourne for the last few months, so while I haven't been able to film new content, I have been brainstorming moving forward. There have been a lot of comments similar to yours, which I'm taking on board. For a lot of homes (but maybe not every single one) there will be a video similar in style to this one, but I will also produce a second video which will be a bit more of a "traditional" home tour. Stay tune.

[@abbe1abbe156]

Yes, they did not really show the space properly.

[@kayelle8005]

@@SimpleDwelling when that happens would you mind pinning a comment up top with the link?

[@TheQueenyla]

Nice home. He also lets us know what kind of struggles (money, family etc) he had and that is often hidden by homeowners. He is sympathetic. Good luck to you and your family.

[@madscola]

Love how honest this guy is with the hard parts of life. And what a beautiful home and work space!

[@trauusa]

Beautiful home, well designed by a good, thoughtful architect and obviously loving father! What impressed me even more, is his honesty about the struggles he had while executing the project...This coming from another architect:) The pain then, and the happiness with the result now are all visible in his smile throughout the video.

[@massimo3461]

Really refreshing to hear someone talk about the stress of building their own house!

[@hana_yori_dango]

Please just show the house and the decor. Show and talk about the materials used, the furnishings, the layout, how they use the space. Now all I see is the owner talking about how stressful it was building his home with repeat shots that do not contribute to viewers' understanding of the completed place. I got fed up and stopped watching about two thirds of the way but I hope they explained what was that big rectangular box they kept pushing around.

[@Silkworm-ev4xl]

Incredible. Literally can not commend you enough for doing all that with twins. I have twins and hearing you did this at the same time made my cortisol levels rise. Enjoy this space now. Just chill. It will take years to recover. Hugs to your incredible wife that powered through this stage too x

[@AlexS0h]

I appreciate the vulnerability in this video. As designers we spend lots of time creating beautiful things for clients and you just want something that is quality built and well thought out for yourself. I hope that after going thru that crucible, he and the family really appreciate the space, sometimes the pain you go thru to do something is totally worth it and he didn’t explicitly say it but I assume so.

[@sonicrav]

I enjoyed the video a lot, but would have really enjoyed seeing the floor plan, and some of the design tricks used to get light into the building explained.

[@SimpleDwelling]

While I'm unable to insert the floor plans into the video, the website has them, so you can see just what he did; thedesignemotive.com/more-emotive/hive-x-five-megowan-architectural

[@AJ-rc5lr]

Australia has some of the best architectural design, i swear, i've followed a few channel like The Local Project, this channel and a few others, damn the Australian architecture and interior design is something else, i have gotten so many inspiration designs for my house through this channel!

[@SimpleDwelling]

Hi A J, thanks for watching and I'm glad you've find some inspiration for your own house, that's why I do this! As for Australia, you're absolutely right in how there is a rich architectural culture here. Sometimes I take for granted, but when I scroll my Instagram, I can't help but marvel at the incredible homes and design Melbourne and the rest of the country constantly delivers.

[@nyxaquar3474]

Congratulations Chris. What a refreshing piece of architecture. Contemporary, organic and yet so unpretentious. I would love to see more of your work.

[@SimpleDwelling]

You can always check out his website and follow on Instagram; m-a.com.au/ instagram.com/megowanarchitectural/

[@jeffrey8154]

This is an amazing home. Hats off to the architect.

[@christophermegowan319]

Thanks Jeffrey. Appreciate it.

[@L_Maris]

I did enjoy the story of the process of building it and the toll it takes, I appreciate you talk about that, the realities and challenges of building such a nice space. But I wish there was also a more through tour of the house.

[@miniteddy5555]

Such a shame that there wasnt any actual tour of the space.

[@vmpapillon8984]

I would enjoy a regular type of home tour next to this too. Not to replace this format but to complement it. Also, it's good to hear realistic stories where everything's did not just magically appear. I would say, looking from the outside in, your space was definitely worth it!

[@SimpleDwelling]

Hi @VM Papillon, I took this suggestion on board and a lot of future videos will have this style of video, and the second upload of a more "typical" tour. Melbourne has been in a hard lockdown for the last few months, but now we're out I can get back out there filming.

[@vmpapillon8984]

@@SimpleDwelling that is great to hear! I can't wait, it's going to be an interesting mix. Stay healthy, stay safe!

[@eyeheartfilm]

Love your candor. Your home is beautiful, warm. You did an awesome job. Be proud.

[@User_dkffkdrkagfgk]

I felt this couple’s exhaustion as he said “juggling jumping twin toddlers and an architecture firm.”

[@SerendipityForever]

It’s nice to hear an honest story. You rarely hear that the costs could double. This is helpful info as I will look to build my own home.

[@nedaajassaim9508]

WOW , what a fantastic design !! absolutely in love with the wholesome approach, it was really endearing to hear that he is blessed with twins because I AM A TWIN ! AND AN ARCHITECT AS WELL hehehe bless you sir

[@dalcom1294]

Omg ! I'm your fan now !!! Amazing and thank you for sharing your honest story of building your own house and be builder as an architect

[@akbc3247]

Looks like a really cool place but I'd have been nice to see more of the actual home

[@TheCozz123]

I'm sorry, but that kitchen nook, near the sliding door was featured way too many times and there was no floor plan or sense of space explained or shown for the ENTIRE home.

[@meanderist]

4 story mixed use space, ....but only showing views of the main space? Let’s see more

[@SimpleDwelling]

The other spaces are occupied by residents, so they were not available. Plus, this video is part of the An Architect's Home series, so the focus was Chris' apartment and studio.

[@jesssmith4801]

Thanks for the personal feedback on your experience & how hard it was. It’s all good and well watching before and after videos, but that kind of feedback is rare.

[@acexone]

While I understand the director's vision regarding this series by focusing on the architect rather than the house, it is flawed in a sense that the audience doesn't get to experience what he himself did. He's physically in the space and no doubt got a tour before filming the interview and he's denying the audience to get a sense of the layout. Throughout this series, people constructively criticize him for this but he ignores them all and only "likes" the praises. 🤷

[@SimpleDwelling]

For the record, all the criticisms have came in the last two weeks, and I haven’t filmed a new house for quite some time due to COVID-19. So I’m not ignoring anything.

[@acexone]

@@SimpleDwelling Thanks for responding. Understood. Stay safe and I'm looking forward to ep06.

[@desleykakoulidisgallaway3382]

I totally love this design = it’s genius. It’s thoughtfully, purposefully rustic. You’ve done a brilliant job creating your beautiful home 🙏🏻🦋🦜

[@SerendipityForever]

Also lesson learnt don’t choose a builder just because he’s the cheapest. Make sure they do quality work and someone you can build a trusting relationship.

[@juanita-narelleetienne4109]

May all your hard work and diligent efforts in your amazingly built and curated home bring everlasting joy to you and your family. Well done👌🏾👍🏾🌟

[@desleykakoulidisgallaway3382]

So really, you ended up with 3 babies.... one that you gave birth to 🙏🏻 beautiful work x

[@BlueOrangey1]

Seems like a great architect but a horrendous film maker. It's a video about the house but it just kept showing stills of the same spots zoomed in and out or a close up on the guy being interviewed. How about moving around the house a bit more, i have no idea how the house flows at all.

[@christophermegowan319]

I didn't make the video, but had I made the video I can guarantee it would have been much, much worse. I think Anthony (who does the series) likes to focus more on the stories behind the structures as opposed to a "this is this and that is that" narrative. The video does show every space in my house (it's just not a particularly big house).

[@joelboh855]

SHOW dont tell.

[@shoshanabloom8669]

Beautiful house. Would have liked to see more

[@juidasgupta5120]

Such a beautiful house ! Designed keeping all the minute details in mind.. lovely home !

[@1uzair]

Absolutely beautifully done! Love it.

[@Keepinitreel108]

WOW!! So nice, the decor and design is absolutely beautiful, well done!!

[@shuzinhali6627]

Loving everything ! And the family vibe.

[@loraraicheva3644]

It's spectacular 🤩💕😍 so simple and so livable I love the feeling it has

[@maryamz2608]

This home looks gorgeous

[@snackgila]

I love the house design in this video and its good to have nice natural lighting.

[@ronzi1866]

I was captivated Really neat and comforting design.

[@pollypuffington2243]

This was a very real video one of my favorites I really appreciate his honesty and its a beautiful home

[@estefanysandoval9199]

this design is beautiful

[@SimpleDwelling]

Website article with photographs and floor plans; thedesignemotive.com/episodes/homes/hive-x-five-megowan Watching the video? Share with me on Instagram, and while you're there, why not follow; instagram.com/thedesignemotive After watching this one, why not watch a favourite of mine? kzbin.info/aero/PL0UfEaat_p1p2x50rGQ3GoqrHptc42cUf

[@guydw1251]

This is beautiful. On every level. It would also be good to see videos of each apartment/shop/studio and how the users experience them. My only reservation is that like the majority of developments, while private spaces may or may not be gorgeous, building to the boundaries does not contribute to public green space.

[@gaynamurphycreative]

Congratulations on creating such a beautiful space.

[@rewa118]

That reading nook is so incredibly placed!!

[@maryngshwuling9916]

Thanks for sharing 🌻

[@allyncampbell9834]

Brilliant.

[@jasonng76]

I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS! PLEASE MAKE MORE!!!

[@TheTonyAndreas]

So much beauty on the other side of pain.

[@MrGallant3]

I wish we could see the layout

[@christophermegowan319]

Hi There Nkathuto, You can see the plans a few other sections/diagrams here: www.archdaily.com/905829/hive-x-five-christopher-megowan

[@HenriLeChatNoir]

@@christophermegowan319 If only someone would make a video showing all that! Maybe someday.

[@ellorachaudhuri8306]

Beautiful home! Simply love it!

[@SimpleDwelling]

It really is!

[@catoftruth1044]

lovely

[@chodemonsters7140]

Show more of the architecture and less of the actual architect

[@PitNeex]

Yes please! Architects are better when they speak with their work rather for their work.

[@MichaelPanin]

What a great video! I spent quite a long time looking for a channel like this:) A floor plan would be nice to see though. It is not too easy to connect all the views in a contiguous space:)

[@nextdevelopments8833]

Check out ‘never too small’

[@MichaelPanin]

@@nextdevelopments8833 yep, one of my favs already, watched all of their videos:)

[@SimpleDwelling]

@@MichaelPanin while I can't go back and insert the plans into the video, they are up on the website; thedesignemotive.com/more-emotive/hive-x-five-megowan-architectural

[@MichaelPanin]

@@SimpleDwelling Thanks!

[@JedesonAlviso]

Love how they incorporated house plants in every area of their home

[@filausopoako]

Beautiful home

[@Eva-un6ct]

Simple and lovely :)

[@swicheroo1]

Gosh. I think the things I've liked (now having watched a few of these types of videos across various channels) are the use of built-in cabinets and manipulation of natural light. Those are elements that I find myself focussing on most in this genre video. I'm a property owner in Los Angeles. But ultimately, for my needs, I have to go through pre-fab, conventional modes--to save the money and the headache.

[@yousrahoeida8202]

I love this house

[@chukilewis1696]

I like it! I’m coming over😜!!

[@mohammeddarvish5491]

The space looks amazing. Making and shots are great. But the explanation require more informations like sketches, plans and sections to enhance the talk more visually.

[@christophermegowan319]

You can see the plans a few other sections/diagrams here: www.archdaily.com/905829/hive-x-five-christopher-megowan

[@marikovofficial1482]

I agree with what he said about museum type houses. I want a house that looks like a home and feels like a home. Does that make sense?

[@SimpleDwelling]

Makes perfect sense!

[@jocelyn5678]

How is this man alive and still married? Wow glad they got through that.

[@SimpleDwelling]

It can be a very challenging process, but the outcome must be worth it.

[@jocelyn5678]

@@SimpleDwelling 1000% agree.

[@golfraven5669]

I see they did not bother about the garden but rather a larger terrace which what I would choose in this limited space.

[@andrewmillar8153]

Love that decking area, wonder how long until the other owners follow suit?

[@25kirtan]

🔥🔥🔥

[@Bobrogers99]

I wanted to see the house and how he utilized the space, but he didn't show us. I echo another comment regarding the brick backsplash. Especially over the stove, brick will be impossible to keep clean. I didn't notice the concrete basin, but it's another one of those trendy but impractical things.

[@christophermegowan319]

The splashback and basin are the easy bits, its the oiled oak floor that is a pain with kids and a dog...should have gone lacquered. Live and learn.

[@deezynar]

Nice looking place, he should be proud. One point that would have helped him out, a newborn only needs about 17 square feet. That's a crib, chest of drawers with changing space on top, and room to stand in front of both of them. Two newborns only need 23, if both cribs are at floor level. Bunkbed cribs save space. Toddlers need only a small amount more than newborns. People living in cramped spaces have been having kids for a very long time. The species has survived just fine. He stressed out over nothing.

[@colortura]

Great video. Wish we could have seen more of the space.

[@SimpleDwelling]

Don't take this comment of mine as defensive, as I've received plenty like this. What would you have liked to have seen / seen more of? Only way to ensure I continue to improve and create content you want to watch more of is by having this dialogue. - Anthony

[@dprmnky582]

​@@SimpleDwelling the back side of the building reveals so much more is going on with the house but we cant tell which part is the new build. I guess part of this may be for the owners privacy, but is there something going on in in the roof at the back? maybe before after ? floor plans? walkthrough tour? definit;ey a very interesting project.

[@afrikamask]

@@SimpleDwelling I think the Never too small channel always provides a very good amount of information about the space itself. Maybe that could be stg to use as orientation.

[@colortura]

@@SimpleDwelling Would like to see entire house. Like to see more features in kitchen, all of the bedrooms, and bathrooms. The episode needs to be longer.

[@SimpleDwelling]

@@colortura thanks for your feedback (even if I'm a bit late). If you did want to see the floor plan, I finally got around to putting together a dedicated article with more information; thedesignemotive.com/more-emotive/hive-x-five-megowan-architectural

[@ayekchwengk]

Sounds like the next episode of Grand Designs!

[@tsaikoboy]

it's hard to appreciate fully any of the space your showing in your vids because it's like watching a slideshow instead of a visual tour. need to pan out and show more of the actual space and less of the narrators

[@dianaluciamaromero494]

Love it!

[@adacristinagoncalves7588]

Fiquei curiosa com o a plata dessa casa

[@jasonlocsin4576]

Much better if you shownus around the house

[@mohinisrivastava8352]

Why does this feel like Never too small?

[@tasty_sand]

Except with awkward narration.

[@PedroWerlich]

haha i thought that too. i think it’s because they both focus on minimalist/scandinavian architecture. also i think they both are from australia!!

[@kavilwagh]

Don't have twins.. got itt

[@SPLToronto]

I learned building your home while living in it is a terrible idea; you got to live elsewhere and managing it like a project.

[@aleenaprasannan2146]

We are currently living in my home while extensive renovation is going on....to make things even more fantastic we cannot move our stuff anywhere else. While the dust, noise and complete lack of privacy feels horrendous and extremely exhausting....it strangely does have its perks. Entire process is right in front of our eyes. We can quickly understand if something is not fitting properly to our nature of usage, make necessary adjustments and we get to learn a lot.

[@ernstjohannes37]

I wanna live there man😂😍

[@SimpleDwelling]

I’ll ask Chris if he wants to rent the third bedroom haha

[@monasingh-theo2859]

The person who believe in family...go small...the person who believe in luxury..go mansion

[@MjolnirMarks]

Can you stack horizontally?

[@deleted8800]

i waited for the tour to begin for 6 minutes

[@negarsarizadeh9403]

🌹🌹🌹

[@solomontyu]

I keep wondering the practicality of having red bricks for backsplash... 🤔 but the wallpaper (I suppose) in the kids bedroom is beautiful.

[@bubarules]

Is not a wallpaper, his wife painted it o the wall :)

[@solomontyu]

Luciano Rodriguez oh that’s lovely

[@SimpleDwelling]

Yep, his wife is a talented artist, and in fact all the art in the home is by her.

[@wrxzboost]

i've been screwed over by a contractor for a new construction - it sucks, lots of scumbags out there.

[@haparekk9305]

I still never understand why people wear shoes in the house. That would gross me out.

[@BoBo-ti6jh]

Get a life.

[@haparekk9305]

Juan Jose great response. Lauv it

[@brendabrenda6843]

I agree. It is gross.

[@eg-g]

You just won a shitty medal for the most ridiculous question in youtube history.

[@haparekk9305]

D. Gata wut

[@lydiavelazquez4650]

finebros

[@albertusandikalie]

Quick question: What does sectional approach mean? Thanks.

[@SimpleDwelling]

In this context: you might design apartments in plan, and then just stack them on top of each other. ‘Sectional approach’ means designing the apartments with section heavy in mind. I’ll assume you’re not sure what a section is, so imagine you cut a sandwich down the middle, and this allows you to see the bread, butter, cheese, ham, lettuce, and bread. Similarly, cut the apartment like a sandwich and design them that way, and that means you look at voids, apartments not directly stacked on each other, etc. I hope this makes sense? But I understand if I just confused you further.

[@albertusandikalie]

@@SimpleDwelling I think I get it! Instead of designing it by merely looking at the plan (horizontally), we are looking sectionally, that is vertically. Thanks for your explanation. Glad I can learn from your channel.

[@aleenaprasannan2146]

@@SimpleDwelling I'm guessing...it's kinda like looking at the apartment like a doll house?

[@dr.buttertoast5037]

👍

[@junskey]

you always get what you pay for with builders 😫

[@polljones8921]

Summary (to save you watching it) - Twins, twins, something, something, stress, awful, negative, four story mixed use, four story mixed use, twins, two twins, stress, something-something, horrible experience. A few shots of the house. Did I mention he had twins?

[@jeffersonllm9090]

"The Architect's Home."

[@douglasyong6939]

Architect's homes as a genre 4 a sister channel perhaps..

[@SimpleDwelling]

Love the suggestion but at least for now, we'll upload An Architect's Home videos to this channel and have it in the dedicated playlist. Alternatively, we also have a page on our website; thedesignemotive.com/series/an-architects-home

[@figgettit]

dude sounds EXACTLY like stuart from the californians.

[@universalask]

What city is this in?

[@LA-jq3ur]

Melbourne Australia

[@ErwinTheBolocBoloc]

Watching From The Philippines!! 🇵🇭

[@2DanGerUS]

Why does he say he built it when he just hired a contractor?

[@christophermegowan319]

The contractor disappeared prior to completing the frame, which left me with no choice but to take over as the head contractor to organize and even in many instances carry out a decent amount of the work myself. Of course I had the help of dozens of other subcontractors along the way...some very good, some not so good...lots of learning!

[@QOOQ8808]

Hey Chris, twins are always TWO.

[@christophermegowan319]

You’re not the first one to point this slip up out to me!

[@QOOQ8808]

@@christophermegowan319 😁 I love the house.

[@sali6357]

I thought he had 4 kids! Both twins!😆😆😆😂

[@seiscero]

Concrete and plywood but the materials are "natural" (N)

[@ithaca_the_enby]

I love the bathroom design with that high skylight roof above the shower. However, did they really need to get a concrete basin? What was going through their minds? "Oh, I don't hurt myself enough by accidentally scraping my wrist on the basin enough, how about a sharp concrete one?" Otherwise, it's a nice design.

[@AA-cp8ry]

where does the dog do his business? How many times u gotta run up/down the stairs in a da to let dog out ? 20?

[@cloroxbleach7867]

A A maybe he uses potty pads?

[@eg-g]

You just won a shitty medal for the stupidest comment in KZbin history. Congratulations you fucking idiot.

[@carolc2574]

People all over the world have dogs in flats. I do. He goes for a walk three times a day: morning, afternoon, before bedtime.

[@inheresomewhere9569]

🦷🦷🦷🦷