Set on the highest point of one of Brisbane’s inner western suburbs, Shaun Lockyer Architects’ Graphic House is inspired by the principles of modernism and driven by a highly distilled approach to design.

Situated on the corner of a very quiet street, “with panoramic easterly views of the city and southerly views right around to the south-west across the local district to Mount Warning, it’s an incredible site, to say the least,” says Shaun Lockyer. Taking advantage of the elevation, the home steps down the site and culminates in the pool at the base of the building. Each of the four levels is stacked as a series of cantilevered volumes, creating a strong modernist design language that emphasises horizontal lines and rectilinear forms.

“The clients are incredibly informed about design and had a very high understanding of the quality of what they wanted and a clear idea of the architectural outcome they were chasing,” explains Shaun. “Their interests are very much modern in the traditional sense, and they loved the idea of strong horizontals.” Identifying a relatively limited palette of natural materials as sympathetic to these modernist design aims, the two most striking features of the house to the outside are the charred timber screens that veil the building and the extensive use of finger jointed limestone cladding. Within this restrained palette, the lines of the concrete slabs are accentuated to establish a datum that is key to the home’s modern identity.

The materiality of the exterior also points to the clients’ emphasis on quality and achieving a truly bespoke outcome. “Due to the cost of real estate and building, most people tend to build a lot more than they need in the name of maximising perceived value for the next potential buyer,” Shaun says. “This house is the exception to the rule. The clients have seen the project as designing for just themselves and for how they want to live in the site, which is surprisingly rare and truly admirable.” Cladding the outside in stone rather than a cement render, using steel-framed windows and doors, and selecting charred timber rather than fibre cement “speaks volumes to the clients having a very clear idea about the quality of what they wanted to be executed,” says Shaun.

Stepping inside, the home is generously scaled without being excessive, with efficient zoning delivering the functionality the client sought. The garage, office, grandchildren’s bedrooms, bathroom and laundry occupy the lower two levels. The middle, most significant, level flows from the entrance at street-height into an expansive kitchen, living and dining area out through steel-framed glazed doors onto a large roof terrace. The top floor is given over to the master bedroom and bathroom. “It was very much a downsize house for the clients. They still wanted a house for grandkids and a big entertaining space, but they didn’t require multiple living rooms or home cinema or gym. We ensured that there was nothing superfluous to the brief,” Shaun says. With an emphasis on quality of finish over quantity of rooms, the philosophy of a restrained material palette carries through internally.

Architecture Shaun Lockyer Architects

Build Thallon Mole Group

Words Rose Onans

Landcsape Steven Clegg Design