Tag Archives: Waterfront Homes

Design: Brahminy House Tour, Byron Bay, Australia

The Local Project (April 23, 2024): Deeply connected to place, Brahminy House by Harley Graham Architects is located in Wategos Beach, Byron Bay, Australia. Tucked back into the land, the beachside house creates a feeling of connectedness to its surrounds while also offering the owners a home filled with tranquility.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Waterfront House 01:05 – Designing with Intention 01:21 – A Walkthrough of the House 02:53 – Framing the Landscape 03:21 – A Robust and Sturdy Material Palette 04:30 – Proud Moments

Looking at the external form, the architect thought of creating a house as a sculpture within the landscape and wanted to be sure that every curve, material and element was intentional. Following the house tour, a casual entry is revealed. Placed under a concrete form with plants cascading out of it, the entry also holds an outdoor shower made from local basalt stone. Used for washing the surfboard or oneself after a swim, the casual entrance sets the tone for the home’s laid-back character. As the house tour continues up the Italian terracotta tiled stairs and through to the side entry and pool, the beach house reveals its sculptural forms, curves and charm.

Additionally, due to being built into the hill and jungle, the beach house is complemented by greenery that cascades over the shapes of the exterior architecture. Once inside, the communal spaces such as the kitchen, living and dining areas encourage the owners to pursue a deeper connection not just to the landscape but to each other. For open-plan spaces, Harley Graham Architects tries to differentiate the areas by introducing varying floor or roof heights. As such, Brahminy House’s living area has been given a pop-up ceiling that infuses a different atmosphere to the other areas.

Modern Home Design: ‘Wurrungwuri’ In Sydney

The Local Project (July 21, 2023) – Exuding the immediate feeling of joy, Wurrungwuri by Carter Williamson offers a pleasant experience from the home’s heritage façade to its modern extensions to become the best modern home in the area.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro To The Modern Home 00:43 – Interpreting The Brief 01:43 – The Collaborative Process 02:27 – A Walkthrough of the Modern Home 03:53 – The Exterior Landscape and Garden 04:25 – Responding To The Site of the Home 04:58 – Balancing Natural Lighting And Voids 05:51 – Interweaving The Old And New Addition 06:59 – Creating A Sense Of Discovery in the Home 07:36 – The Internal Heating Process 08:01 – A Personal Art Gallery 08:36 – A Rewarding Resolution

As the clients desired a modern renovation to improve Wurrungwuri’s original from, Carter Williamson added a new addition that would respond to the heritage structure and rear harbour views as well as allow the owners to showcase their artwork.

Both architect and interior designer, Carter Williamson performed the perfect collaboration between the client, architect, designer and builder, which resulted in the delivery of the best modern home. From the front door, one experiences a warm welcome as they step into the original home, with living spaces to one side and bedrooms to the other.

Moving further into the best modern home, a threshold between the old and new acts as a gallery. With a double-height void allowing for a connection to the dining room below, the void becomes an important part of the home’s interior design. In the below new additions, Carter Williamson has placed darker rooms to the left that sit under the original home, whilst light-filled spaces sit to the right. The home then leads into the main entertaining rooms and kitchen as well as the dining room that sits directly under the void that features a Tom Dixon chandelier.

Design Tour: Waterfront Modern Home In Sydney

The Local Project (July 18, 2023) – Nestled in a serene waterfront location just north of the Sydney CBD, Northbridge is a modern house that seamlessly integrates with the surrounding landscape and topography of its site.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to the Waterfront Modern House 00:33 – The Serene Location 00:58 – A Walkthrough of the Home 01:29 – Separation by Stairs 02:08 – Key Interior Features 02:48 – The Intimacy of the Lower Level 03:31 – A Focus on the Exterior Landscape Architecture 04:13 – Considerations of Designing Waterfront Houses 05:05 – The Rewarding Aspects

Working with the challenge of a sloped, narrow block and existing elements, including a natural watercourse, rocky outcrops and mature tree ferns, became crucial to the design of the home. To work around the decline of the terrain, the modern house is made of varying levels that cascade towards the water.

Accessed via an external bridge that looks down over a courtyard, the top floor of the residence features a central staircase with a lounge room to one side and a dining and kitchen area to the other – both spaces open to an expansive balcony with breathtaking north-eastern views. The level below the entry houses the bedrooms, which dial around the central staircase – two of which face towards the views with an outlook that engages the tops of the tree ferns.

The lowest living area of the house links directly to the garden, enabling a beautiful intimacy with the landscape to enter into the modern house. In this sense, the garden and surrounding views are central to the home’s design. Structurally, the central staircase provides a sense of circulation and symmetry. From this vertical atrium, there are sweeping horizontal and vertical views through to the garden and down to the water beyond.

Behind the living room is a tranquil courtyard that offers shelter from the wind, as well as a pool that leads to another garden continuing down to the harbour. Down there the cube-shaped house can be seen from a different perspective – glimpsed through a curtilage of an enchanted garden of tree ferns, palms and curved sandstone walls.

#ModernHouse #Architecture #Sydney