This is a residence where the power of its façade is evident in the approach to the house – it has a palpable energy, which moves from outside to in – delivering a contemporary version of a grand villa.

Rob Mills

This house, in the Melbourne beachside suburb of Brighton, started with a generous block of land and a willingness on the part of the client to explore the new experiences an architectural commission can bring.

The house, with its assertive sculptural form, sits to one side of the land, allowing for an impressive landscaped forecourt and a pool area to run along the entire side of the building. This siting balances the relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces, placing emphasis equally on both.

The use of concrete creates visual cohesion, while the drama of the exterior continues internally with a double height entrance, the sweep of a curved wall, a circular skylight and the flourish of a spiral staircase creating unexpected juxtapositions and shifts in light throughout the day.

“We know that generous space equates with luxury, but that needs to be in harmony with intimacy, and so we have used dividing screens internally to allow for flexibility in how the floor plan operates,” says Mills. Along with the central corridor, they create through views and give the house a feeling of openness and transparency.

The designer furnishing and bespoke joinery combine to evoke a quiet luxury, with forms and colours that subtly echo the structure, while glazed curtain walls open up for air flow and a closer relationship to the outside and natural light animates the architecture and interior alike.