It’s the layers that hook you – a series of competing and complementing geometric shapes, textures and materials.
Architect Frank Macchia calls them “articulated forms” that lend the Blairgowrie Court house depth, both physically and metaphorically, as well as complexity and timelessness.
From the front you are met by a cube with high-gloss black tiles reflecting trees and power lines.
There’s a curved dark-grey rendered wall with punch holes behind, a grey ribbon wall, angling from another curved wall of “stacked white blocks”, with a wave-like ripple along its top edge.
Tied to that is a screen of copper ply squares by a rust-coloured saucer-shaped canopy. A “floating” charcoal block sits above spans of glass that are framed by delicate timber strips and bold pillars of exposed concrete.
This is just some of what’s going on as you survey the wide frontage of the Brighton property.
Designed by Melbourne-born, Noosa-based Macchia it was built for close family friends more than a decade ago.
“One of my strongest intentions was to contradict the proliferation of Georgian boxes being built at the time,” Macchia says.
But at the same time, he says he wanted to add to rather than compete with the streetscape.
He wanted to grab people’s attention, challenge them with simple, powerful sculptural forms, even give them pause to reflect, like you would on a work of art, and transcend the everyday.
Macchia knows the structure isn’t for everyone. “They don’t have to love it,” he says. The design is personal and intuitive, seeking balance and harmony through scale and form.
For instance, he sees curves softening the house’s appearance, providing a feminine side to its obvious masculinity, the yin and yang.
This high level of design isn’t lost on the current owners, who bought the property a couple of years ago and are now opting for a sea change north. “You have to respect what it is,” they say. “It’s not a house to tizzy up.”
However, for all its high design, you need to remember that this is still a home to experience and have experiences in.
In this regard, the multi-level house has a practical and reasonably conventional contemporary layout.
The open-plan living-dining and entertaining spaces occupy the ground floor and the sleeping quarters are upstairs.
There are two bedrooms that share an en suite, as well as a master bedroom, en suite and kitchenette that all wrap around an open central retreat.
Downstairs, massive sliding doors disappear into the wall and seamlessly connect the interior with the outdoor living-dining area.
Stepping through those sliding doors you will find a built-in cooking station and 22-metre lap pool.
There’s also a guest bedroom and bathroom with laundry and service courtyard tucked out of sight as well as access to the three-car garage.
Less common is the purpose-built home office out front, detached from the main building and entirely surrounded by a moat-like pond, with its own entry.
Dark frameless glass doors fold back, creating a Zen-like feeling of floating on water. “It’s more inspiring than staring out at a road or nature strip,” Macchia says.
A low glass wall runs along half the downstairs perimeter by the entrance, sitting room, bedroom (with its own pond deck) and bathroom with a protruding sunken spa bath. This results in each of those rooms having a calming outlook onto the water feature too.
Interestingly, Macchia had planned – but never built – another Zen-styled environment for the expansive rooftop terrace. Plans included a kitchen, gym, sails, canopies, ponds and floating boardwalks.
To take advantage of the magnificent city and bay views, the current owners partly realised his concept by installing a Western red cedar hot tub and raised timber decks to accommodate sun lounges, dining setting and BBQ.
Macchia’s eye for the sculpted form remains ever-present, inside and out. The external ribbon wall, for instance, slices right through the house at all levels, with the far end used to create a waterfall over the pool.
As you enter, supporting concrete poles separate living and dining spaces without closing them off.
Floating bulkheads break up the ceiling. Voids the height of the building and large spans of walls create perspective and a bit of an art gallery feel.
More dramatic interplay of materials and textures is found further inside. There are polished concrete floors and unpolished ceilings, wood-grained cabinetry, and timber-framed doors and windows as well as striking stone fireplaces.
The kitchen features stainless-steel, various types of tiling and silky-smooth Corian for bench and table tops.
“My intention is to provide moments of stillness as you absorb what you’re seeing and feeling,” Macchia says. “A dynamic piece of sculpture that can be experienced and lived in.”
Architect Frank Macchia calls them “articulated forms” that lend the Blairgowrie Court house depth, both physically and metaphorically, as well as complexity and timelessness.
From the front you are met by a cube with high-gloss black tiles reflecting trees and power lines.
There’s a curved dark-grey rendered wall with punch holes behind, a grey ribbon wall, angling from another curved wall of “stacked white blocks”, with a wave-like ripple along its top edge.
Tied to that is a screen of copper ply squares by a rust-coloured saucer-shaped canopy. A “floating” charcoal block sits above spans of glass that are framed by delicate timber strips and bold pillars of exposed concrete.
This is just some of what’s going on as you survey the wide frontage of the Brighton property.
Designed by Melbourne-born, Noosa-based Macchia it was built for close family friends more than a decade ago.
“One of my strongest intentions was to contradict the proliferation of Georgian boxes being built at the time,” Macchia says.
But at the same time, he says he wanted to add to rather than compete with the streetscape.
He wanted to grab people’s attention, challenge them with simple, powerful sculptural forms, even give them pause to reflect, like you would on a work of art, and transcend the everyday.
Macchia knows the structure isn’t for everyone. “They don’t have to love it,” he says. The design is personal and intuitive, seeking balance and harmony through scale and form.
For instance, he sees curves softening the house’s appearance, providing a feminine side to its obvious masculinity, the yin and yang.
This high level of design isn’t lost on the current owners, who bought the property a couple of years ago and are now opting for a sea change north. “You have to respect what it is,” they say. “It’s not a house to tizzy up.”
However, for all its high design, you need to remember that this is still a home to experience and have experiences in.
In this regard, the multi-level house has a practical and reasonably conventional contemporary layout.
The open-plan living-dining and entertaining spaces occupy the ground floor and the sleeping quarters are upstairs.
There are two bedrooms that share an en suite, as well as a master bedroom, en suite and kitchenette that all wrap around an open central retreat.
Downstairs, massive sliding doors disappear into the wall and seamlessly connect the interior with the outdoor living-dining area.
Stepping through those sliding doors you will find a built-in cooking station and 22-metre lap pool.
There’s also a guest bedroom and bathroom with laundry and service courtyard tucked out of sight as well as access to the three-car garage.
Less common is the purpose-built home office out front, detached from the main building and entirely surrounded by a moat-like pond, with its own entry.
Dark frameless glass doors fold back, creating a Zen-like feeling of floating on water. “It’s more inspiring than staring out at a road or nature strip,” Macchia says.
A low glass wall runs along half the downstairs perimeter by the entrance, sitting room, bedroom (with its own pond deck) and bathroom with a protruding sunken spa bath. This results in each of those rooms having a calming outlook onto the water feature too.
Interestingly, Macchia had planned – but never built – another Zen-styled environment for the expansive rooftop terrace. Plans included a kitchen, gym, sails, canopies, ponds and floating boardwalks.
To take advantage of the magnificent city and bay views, the current owners partly realised his concept by installing a Western red cedar hot tub and raised timber decks to accommodate sun lounges, dining setting and BBQ.
Macchia’s eye for the sculpted form remains ever-present, inside and out. The external ribbon wall, for instance, slices right through the house at all levels, with the far end used to create a waterfall over the pool.
As you enter, supporting concrete poles separate living and dining spaces without closing them off.
Floating bulkheads break up the ceiling. Voids the height of the building and large spans of walls create perspective and a bit of an art gallery feel.
More dramatic interplay of materials and textures is found further inside. There are polished concrete floors and unpolished ceilings, wood-grained cabinetry, and timber-framed doors and windows as well as striking stone fireplaces.
The kitchen features stainless-steel, various types of tiling and silky-smooth Corian for bench and table tops.
“My intention is to provide moments of stillness as you absorb what you’re seeing and feeling,” Macchia says. “A dynamic piece of sculpture that can be experienced and lived in.”