Two Laneway Houses Open for One Day Only

The house that starred on Grand Designs Australia occupies a site barely bigger than two car spaces. At 5 metres by 4 metres, the Hayes Lane Project in East Melbourne squeezes three levels and a roof garden onto a 20-square-metre footprint – and on Sunday 26 July, it opens to the public for the first time in years.

The opening is part of Open House Melbourne Weekend, which runs from 24 to 26 July with the theme ‘Generous City’. Alongside the 5×4 project, a second laneway home – Stables House in Carlton North – will also welcome visitors for guided 30-minute tours.

Designed by Felicetti and GHD, the 5×4 Hayes Lane Project was built as a case study in extreme spatial efficiency and low-impact construction. It follows One Planet Living principles, tracking its own greenhouse gas emissions, and has been used for academic research into sustainable urban densification. Steep stairs connect the three levels, so the architects advise it is not suitable for children or anyone with mobility concerns.

A few suburbs north, Stables House takes a different approach. Rob Kennon Architects converted a former hay store in a Carlton North laneway, preserving the building’s historic relationship to the street while inserting a new internal layer. A courtyard strengthens the pedestrian connection, and a sunken kitchen solves the problem of low ceilings without raising the roof.

Unlike many Open House buildings that allow free walk-ins, these two homes require a booking and a $7 fee. Tours run at 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm on Sunday 26 July, with groups capped at 15 people. A second release of tickets through Humanitix went live on 4 July, and early sessions are already hard to find.

If you have to choose one, the 5×4 project is the more radical demonstration of what can be done with a tiny inner-city site – 20 square metres delivering three levels of living space plus a roof garden. Stables House offers a character-rich conversion that keeps the laneway connection alive. Both homes include guided discussions on passive design and densification, making them more educational than a typical open house.

The most common mistake is assuming every Open House Melbourne event is free. These tours cost $7 per person, and the 5×4 project’s stairs rule out children and anyone who can’t manage a steep climb.

Public transport is the best way to reach both laneways. East Melbourne and Carlton North are well served by trams and trains, and on-street parking is scarce around the narrow back streets. Check the PTV journey planner for routes to Hayes Lane or stops near Carlton North.

While you’re in the area, the full Open House program includes more than 180 buildings. Other private homes like Two Sisters by Breathe Architecture and a St Kilda Passivhaus are also open across the weekend. The City of Melbourne precinct itinerary makes it easy to combine visits with nearby cafes and other laneway buildings.

For one day only, two of Melbourne’s most inventive answers to the question of how to live well in a small space will be unlocked. After that, they return to being private homes.