MRTN Architects
MRTN Architects is an architecture practice with studios in Brunswick, Melbourne, and Surry Hills, Sydney, established by director Antony Martin in 2011. Antony has practised with highly regarded firms in New Zealand, Australia and New York, working on buildings such as the Melbourne Museum. The studio designs unique homes for city, country and coast, with handpicked materials, thoughtful features and sustainability built in from the start.
Its front-loaded process begins with a pre-design deep dive into how clients want to live, sense-checking numbers early so the result is "cost-effective and efficient yet full of warmth, character and generosity". MRTN has been certified carbon neutral since 2020, is a signatory to Architects Declare and is an A+ member of the Australian Institute of Architects.
Its many Lunchbox projects range from Venus Bay Bach, a New Zealand-style beach shack in Gippsland, and Fairfield Hacienda, with a front courtyard you can actually use, to Trentham Long House, Carlton Cloister and Shadow Cottage Daylesford. More recent work includes Rathmines, Dark Light House, Nulla Vale House and Shed, The Good Life House, House in the Dry and Shady Creek.
See House in the Dry, Shady Creek and more of their work on Lunchbox below.
Venus Bay Bach: It's a Piece of New Zealand on the Australian Coast, Bro!
Venus Bay Bach is a beach home built on a tight budget, but spacious enough to house family and friends for the weekend. And it doesn't ignore the views...
Fairfield Hacienda: Finally a Front Yard You Can Actually Use
Fairfield Hacienda offers an alternative to the often wasted front yard. MRTN Architects have created a sunny, private courtyard at the front of the house.
Trentham Long House Has Old World Charm in a Modern Package
Trentham Long House treads the line between old-fashioned simplicity and the conveniences of contemporary life.
A North Facing Cloister Connects This Terrace to New Master Bedroom
Dealing with poor orientation this North-facing cloistered space acts as circulation and additional indoor/outdoor living space.
Daylesford Cottage Updated with Sensitive, Japanese-Inspired Addition
With the option to demolish and start from scratch, MRTN Architects instead create a sensitive addition to this Victorian cottage.
Take a Look at the Kitchen of This Renowned Chef and Restaurateur
The kitchen is the heart of Chef and Restaurateur, Scott Pickett's home, making it the perfect place to entertain friends and family.
A Small Addition Creates a Home Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts
Light and dark, east and west, new and old, Dark Light House's new living pavilion contrasts without simply doing the opposite.
An Off-Grid, Back-to-Basics Retreat Connects This Couple to the Land
This warm, textural home creates a connection to place, captures views and creates a humble retreat from the elements (and the city).
A Recent Polish Leaves This Mid-century Modern Gem Sparkling
With only minor changes over its 50-year life, this mid-century home retained its original charm but desperately needed a little TLC.
A Home Designed for a Family to Come Together or Find their Own space
Bringing together all the things they loved from previous houses, their new home represents the good life for this family of five.
A House in the Dry is adapted to Australia's climate and landscape
Responding to its unique landscape and climate, this home is the kind we should be building in Australia, not more McMansions.
A modern farmhouse embracing its rural surroundings…
Inspired by old farm sheds, this contemporary farmhouse respects its rural roots while embracing sustainability and modern living.