12 Balfour Street, Doncaster

Twin Happiness is a dual occupancy project inspired by the Chinese symbol for double happiness, exploring balance through form, material, and spatial rhythm. The two distinct but complementary dwellings are expressed in black and white.

The site’s wide frontage allows a departure from the typical duplex model, with both homes featuring generous entries, double garages, and vertical volume at key moments. A feature courtyard introduces northern light deep into the plan, especially benefiting the ground-floor bedroom, enhancing liveability and solar performance.

The material palette supports spatial hierarchy: darker timbers define communal zones, while softer whites articulate private spaces. Clean lines, square-set walls, and concealed details, including flush doors and integrated joinery, create a restrained and quiet expression throughout.

Small interventions consider daily life nuances—built-in seats, study nooks, and subtle thresholds offer spatial pauses without compromising clarity. A 900mm cooking bench anchors the kitchen as a practical and social element.

Twin Happiness is an exercise in refinement—proportion, light, and lived experience—reflecting a broader intent to design with empathy, grounding architecture in both function and feeling.