2024 NGV Architecture Commission: Home Truth by Breathe

December 4th, 2024
Sustainability Architecture & Design Things We Love

The 2024 NGV Architecture Commission, Home Truth by Melbourne studio Breathe, explores how small-scale architecture can promote sustainable, high-quality, and community-focused living.

At its core, Home Truth critiques the ethical and ecological impact of Australia’s disproportionately large homes—averaging 236 square metres, the largest globally according to the 2020 Australian Bureau of Statistics

The installation features an oversized house frame symbolising the average Australian home, within which a compact timber structure reflects the footprint of a more sustainable dwelling. It offers a compelling alternative—spaces that are smaller in scale yet richer in quality, designed with both people and the planet in mind.

Crafted from just two primary materials to align with modern housing construction practices, the project is thoughtfully designed for disassembly, ensuring sustainability at every stage.

Stepping through the expansive garage door of the larger house, visitors navigate a labyrinth of grand rooms and corridors that challenge the ethical and ecological implications of Australia’s disproportionately large homes.

Nestled within the silhouette of the oversized structure lies a quiet, contemplative timber space, reflecting the modest footprint of a smaller-scale home. This serene retreat invites visitors to pause and reflect, offering a tangible glimpse into a more sustainable and thoughtful vision for housing.

At Modscape, we share Home Truth’s commitment to sustainable and thoughtful design. Its focus on high-quality, compact, and community-oriented living mirrors our ethos of creating modular spaces that prioritise functionality, beauty, and sustainability. Like this installation, we believer that architecture can be a catalyst for change—redefining how we think about space and the environment while delivering homes that are as innovative as they are inspiring.

Congratulations to Breathe for creating such an insightful and inspiring installation. The exhibition runs until 27 April 2025 and is well worth a visit. For more information please see here.