Design Ideas

The flexibility of concrete in design enables you to create structures not possible with other construction materials.  It is a robust and durable material and, when used correctly in collaborative and creative design, it is visually striking.

Attention should always be given to the type of surface finish (e.g. off-form concrete, polished concrete, exposed aggregate and trowled or brushed finishes) as this will significantly affect the visual appreciation.  

Image credit: Arch Daily

The planning of this home ensures the views are never static; they constantly orient and inform you as you traverse through.  The living area responds to the northern sun and the easterly views to the ocean and because this is essentially planned as a U-shape around a central garden area, it protects the central contemplation space at the core of the house for a source of stillness.  Recycled materials (greyed off hardwood) have been used throughout for the entire cladding and because they have a tactile quality, they make you want to touch and feel more connected to this home.

Image credit: Arch Daily

A central courtyard forms a 'transparent' area in this home, wrapped in full-height glazing that can be enjoyed from every room. The home prioritizes a connection to nature while offering spaces for socializing and relaxing while enjoying strong connectivity to other areas of the home.   Breezeways and visual permeability are maximised in this residence with a series of glass louvers opening up to the lush greenery. 

Image credit: Design Boom

Rammed earth delivers an aesthetic created by the superposition of multiple layers of compressed soil.  Generally, its construction is composed of earth, sand and clay to create a wet mixture that is placed in between flat panels to harden. 

All the characteristics of hardness, thermal inertia, colour, brightness and tactile quality are factors due to the physical and chemical make up of the type of soil used.

Image credit: Dezeen

This structure is the essence of a house, without the requirement for additional decorative elements.  The simple yet striking design features a series of inverted concrete beams that cantilever from the slab on the roof level at the front and rear of the home. These beams are supported by a double line of structural steel columns which are laid parallel to the property line, offering both a design feature and a structural purpose. A concrete canopy, on the second floor, folds towards the site boundaries forming an arch, defining and enclosing the whole space.  A deck, on level one, is hung through a steel tensor system exposing a series of double-height columns.  The result is a design that offers multiple circulation paths which all converge in a central semi-sunken courtyard.

Image credit: Arch Daily

Have you thought of using a pool to form the structural part of your home?  Incorporating a pool indoors is a clever design statement on the traditional water playgrounds that we enjoy in the backyard. 

Image credit: Arch Daily 

You’ve heard of a “man cave” but how about a “sky cave”? 

On the upper floor of this home is a terrace with a covered opening to overlook the neighbouring forest.   The cave was built with enclosed partition walls and deep eaves in order to block out the noise of passing trains and views from neighboring buildings yet still allowing natural sunlight to enter.   The result is a space that feels equally protected and open at the same time. 

Image credit: Arch Daily

If you want a clever and dramatic use of timber, steel and glass, this is it!  This is an outdoor space that appears to spiral upwards toward the sky in Harumi, Tokyo.

The steel frame is infilled with panels made from cross-laminated cypress timber.   To protect from wind and rain, the pavilion has transparent TEFKA (a copolymer film made of ethylene and chloro-trifluoro-ethylene) to fill in the gaps between the panels. These kite-shaped elements allow light to enter the space, while the wooden panels filter the light like trees in a forest.

Image credit: Timber Architecture and Construction News

Australia has been obsessed with Hamptons style, and Perth is no exception. However, while it’s not likely to be a passing trend, there is another on the horizon. With hallmarks of Hamptons style, plus the classic Queenslander and hallmarks of the Raffles Hotel, Plantation style is here to stay. It’s a timeless genre of architecture and interior design inspired by Raj-period homes in India and the Asian-European fusion found in Asian – think Raffles in Singapore and Cambodia and the Metropole in Hanoi.

Classic elements are white weatherboards, wide balconies with carved balustrades, high ceilings and a classic mix of black flooring and white walls. The feel is relaxed, sophisticated and very much about a laidback indoor-outdoor lifestyle.

We also love the design integrity of the Hamptons home. This style of home is inspired by the traditional buildings found in East Hampton and South Hampton on Long Island (the New Yorker’s weekend escape). Before embarking on your Hamptons or Plantation build, it’s important to know that while the style looks simple, it has great attention to detail and a high level of craftsmanship. Proper Hamptons design is about what we call ‘honest architecture’, which is nothing on show for show’s sake. It is not about building a box and adorning the box with stick-on mouldings, then decorating it to look ‘Hamptons’, which is unfortunately a common theme in Australia. Honest architecture means if an aspect of the building is designed to appear to do something, it actually does it! Cut any corners in this build and you will be disappointed. So, it is important to engage a builder who understands the design, philosophy and history of this style of architecture to ensure you are happy with your Hamptons, or Plantation, home.

View our authentic plantation style weatherboard home recently completed in Mosman Park.

Shou Sugi Ban is an ancient Japanese technique that preserves wood by charring it with fire. An environmentally friendly way to preserve timber and make it more fire-resistant, it is chemically free of preservatives and paint. In addition to exterior uses, the popular technique is now found in interior rooms, furniture and artwork and is a feature on our Mosman Park residence currently under construction.

While it has an odd name, this discipline is all about showcasing and celebrating transience and imperfection.   It is the practice of embracing and appreciating the ingenuous integrity of natural objects and processes.  Some of the ways the aesthetic can be shown in your home include asymmetrical tiling, oxidised zinc or roughness in materials such as natural timber used as benchtops or a rammed concrete wall.  It can also be shown in art and sculpture with the focus on hand-finished items.  The result?  A deeply personal, organic aesthetic.   This image shows the natural detail in a railway sleeper transported from our South West and installed into our Ross Avenue residence in Sorrento, one of seven different types of timber species used in the home.

There are many different types of these available.  It's just one example of how we don’t need much space to grow our own produce.

Dean found this rooftop decking at the spectacular mid-century modern house he visited in Florida.

This new range from a leading supplier is spectacular.   We didn't think we'd see great looking cast iron back on the market, but this material is incredibly tactile and beautiful (and holds the heat longer than acrylic/plastic).

Inclined roof / green roof system

OPTIGRUN INTERNATIONAL

Source: Optigreen

Source: Bau Expo Munich

Source: Bau Expo Munich