The central courtyard extends the composition of the internal planning to the outside, with planes of timber and concrete hovering over a reflective black granite-slab plunge pool. The rear dwelling acts as a privacy screen, creating a place of calm and introspection.
All the major concrete elements, including the columns, balustrades and beams, are off-form. The concrete walls are exposed - both externally and internally – as are the underside of the upper-level floor slabs as ceilings.
“There were cost efficiencies in not having to go back and dress over the concrete finishes, but we also wanted to keep it authentic,” says Architect William Smart.
“I like concrete for its honesty, its texture and richness. Our approach (to concrete) has always been to use it in a very precise way. We don’t think of it as industrial or rough, but as a special material.”