inside out
A garden outlook from every room. Calm, layered, and quietly confident.
Our clients came to us with a challenging site which was long, narrow, sloping, and facing a busy road to the north. They were looking for a modern retreat: a home that offered privacy, light, and connection to their garden, without feeling boxed in or overwhelmed by noise. We stepped away from the standard suburban formula and reimagined the entire layout to suit the land, the light, and their love of art, entertaining, and quiet living. They gave us full creative trust, and in return, we gave them a home that feels calm, breathable, and uniquely theirs.
Rather than fight the constraints of the site, we used them. The building steps gently with the slope, unfolding as a series of pavilions connected by outdoor courtyards. Each room has its own garden outlook, from quiet courtyards to a central water feature that reflects light deep into the house. The spine hallway links it all, drawing you through the home and allowing moments of pause along the way. Materials were chosen for their longevity and feeling underfoot: recycled brick, spotted gum, and polished concrete that soaks up warmth during the day and gives it back at night.
The result is a quiet haven; layered, generous, and deeply considered. As the clients said: “Every room had a garden outlook… I particularly loved the polished concrete floors which absorbed the heat in the day and released it at night, warming the entrance and hallway in the evenings.” They told us, “We did not build to impress people but it impressed almost everyone.” And perhaps most meaningfully: “They designed us a house that was designed for us and worked for us.”