Our studies in architecture, sculpture, painting, printmaking and drawing have focused our approach to planning and detail, and the metaphysical effect of objects. One local example, Melbourne’s Reed House (now known as the Heide II gallery at the Heide Museum of Modern Art) was designed by David McGlashan in 1963. The clarity of the plan – the volume, the calmness of spaces and the material detail – visually and physically connects the building to the surrounding landscape. More than two thousand years ago and fifteen thousand kilometres away, the ancient Greek architects of the Parthenon epitomised the idea of balance by manipulating perspective on a massive scale. Nothing has topped that purity. The slight curve and taper of the columns tricks us into believing that they line up perfectly.
Like the designers of these buildings, we focus on the details. Our projects can take three years to build, and we oversee every element to create the most solid and beautiful buildings we can. This has become a unifying philosophy of our practice. Early client discussions often centre around how they see their home evolving over the coming decades. Our own experience as parents has given us direct and personal insights into the many layers and functions of a home over time. Some of our most successful houses are those whose owners trusted us to take them on that design journey.
We like to rethink the square box and reveal interesting spaces. We always start by breaking up the facade, pushing and pulling spaces horizontally and vertically, expanding or reducing voids, adding sculptural stairways that move through the floors and become artworks themselves, creating soaring rooflines that reach for the treetops and open up interesting views and deep skylights that reflect light through the interior. We often return to houses that we’ve designed to see if they could be a little bit grander or a fraction smaller, or to assess what you see when the front door opens. What draws you in and takes you on the journey? Where are the elements of curiosity and surprise?
We love playing with those spatial experiences. It’s a bit like walking in the bush, discovering vignettes along the way – a tiny glimpse over here, an opening in the trees there. The overwhelming scale of a large room can be balanced by juxtaposing large blocks of stone with small bricks – the details, textures and patinas compress and soften the experience. The shimmer of a silver leaf ceiling will expand an interior as it bounces the light around. A giant slide that the kids can use to shoot into a living room adds another playful dimension.
Our design process focuses on all those moments to reveal the beauty, the rhythm and the joy of surprise within a home.