Petersen D72 bricks make their mark on this unique home in Torquay.

Torquay House is a two-storey modern home that, despite its 25 metre long frontage, is not at all imposing on the street, sitting comfortably with the scale of the area. Yet Torquay House has already made its mark and created quite a stir–for good reason– in its iconic Australian seaside location.

And it’s mostly thanks to architect Frank Bienefelt’s selection of Petersen D72 bricks.

Because brick selection was critical to the success of Frank’s well-considered design. It’s the hero material in the elegant, modern palette, welcoming the owner’s family and friends from the street front, weaving their way throughout the house on various feature walls, then out onto the alfresco entertaining area.

Yet this is quite surprising when you learn that the owners hated bricks. And didn’t want a brick house at all.

What they wanted was a modern, four-bedroom, state-of-the-art, luxurious home, unlike any other on the street, with ample space for entertaining. But it had to be homely, with the right scale of spaces to feel like a welcoming home.

Having used Petersen bricks before Frank was well aware of the unique outcomes you can achieve with Petersen bricks. And in this case, knew that they would deliver the ‘wow’ factor his clients were seeking.

Frank’s response to their aversion to bricks was, “Well, you should have a look at the Petersen range of bricks before you close your mind to the idea.”

Even after holding a brick in their hands, the owners were still unsure but thankfully placed their full trust in Frank. Now, they simply love their new home and couldn’t imagine using anything other than Petersen D72 bricks. “When the first few walls came up, they understood what I was trying to achieve. You just have to look at the style of the brick – it has the right texture and the right scale to make the project work,” Frank says.

It’s the clever collage of materials that makes this home a standout. Petersen D72 bricks, anthracite zinc on the upper storey, polished concrete, and various hardwood timbers throughout. As Frank says, each material picks up the subtle colour variations in the Petersen D72s:

“I fell in love with the sandy colour blend, because it best reflects the sandy, mottled colours of the Torquay cliffs. It’s not too imposing, it’s a beautiful light colour and I’ve had overwhelmingly positive feedback on this brick. The beautiful variation in colour actually makes the whole concept convincing – it ties in so well with the anthracite zinc on the upper floor as well as the timbers.”

For a project that was completed on weekends and in Frank’s limited spare time, it was an absolute labour of love and a highly rewarding one at that. Frank is happy, the owners simply love their new home, and passers-by continue to make comments on the beautiful Petersen D72 bricks. Now that is a great sign of success by every measure.

Architect: Frank Bienefelt
Product: Petersen D72 bricks
Builder: Voss Builders
Interior Design: Shannon Vos – VOS CREATIVE
Photographer: Ferne Millen Photography