By Mary O'Brien
Anything can be improved through good design, says architect Simon Knott.
Your first home?
My first home was a small timber worker's cottage in South Yarra. I was single, in my early 30s, and it suited me very well as a bachelor pad. I did a minor renovation, which all architects should do at some stage on their own house. I learnt a lot about efficient design, flexibility and maximising the spend.
Simon Knott's Northcote home. Credit: Shannon McGrath
Period home or contemporary?
My first house was a Victorian cottage. I now live in an Edwardian bungalow that has had a major contemporary renovation. We did it with the idea that we did not want to move for 20 years.
Describe your home style
A doll's house for a creative family. We live in a contemporary take on a doll's house with flexible, non-prescribed space where anything and everything is possible.
Simon Knott, director of BKK Architects.
Best design tip?
Anything can be improved through good design. We've drawn inspiration from the inner-city context for some townhouses that we're designing (No. 108 Fitzroy by FourSQ), yet they are thoroughly progressive and contemporary. We were never content and kept on returning to the drawing board – you should never stop designing.
The suburb you love?
Northcote. I'm very lucky to live right on Merri Creek in Westgarth so I get the beauty of the creek combined with the vibrant inner-city lifestyle that I love. We still have a good mix of public housing and the original, older Greeks and Italians living on our street. You can't manufacture that sort of diversity and I hope it never goes.
The most iconic house?
It's difficult to go past Robin Boyd's houses. His Featherston House (1967) is still one of the most progressive houses in Melbourne and it's almost 50 years old. Roy Grounds' Hill House (1953) is one of my favourites and a more contemporary master work is Barrie Marshall of DCM's Phillip Island House (1983). There are currently many talented young (and not so young) architects producing iconic architecture here.
Your next home?
I'd like to design and build a country retreat. I think every architect wants to build a new house for themselves but that can wait. It's a later-in-life thing.
Most treasured possession?
My grandfather's coin. He worked his way up from an orphan delivering telegrams to head of Australia Post and later was deputy high commissioner to London. The coin was given to him by NASA for his assistance with the Apollo 11 lunar landing. It sits on my desk and is inspiring in so many ways.
Simon Knott is a director of BKK Architects, b-k-k.com.au