Pine Avenue was born out of Harley Graham Architects‘ client’s desire for a contemporary take on the ‘modernist box’ he admired.
A coincidental encounter at Palm Springs Modernism Week 2017, founded a fortuitous union of client and architect, bound by a shared interest and passion for mid-century design.
The brief for a new home in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales was to provide a private escape, away from the hustle and bustle of Sydney, where the client had spent his working life.
His intentions were straightforward from the outset; creative planning that could achieve privacy and maximise views, a great room that could act as a gallery space for an expansive collection of mid-century wares, antiques and art, and an entertainer’s delight with an expansive kitchen and outdoor pool pavilion.
The immediate context of East Ballina, or Ballifornia as it became fondly known, is a patchwork of fibro cottages perched on escarpments and masonry bungalows, with a sprinkling of hip and tile spec’ houses thrown in.
The elevated site captures ocean views from the street front to the southeast and looks northwest into a BAL-rated tree canopy at the rear.
With 8m of fall across the block, key challenges became achieving privacy from overlooking, and balancing the desired ‘floating box’ aesthetic with height plane restrictions and overshadowing.
A critical driver of the external aesthetic was Harley Graham Architects’ client’s desire for a low-maintenance exterior.
Given the challenging nature of future access, the Harley Graham Architects design team sought after a ‘no paint’ solution, allowing the client to spend more time on his other passion – gardening.
The end result has been the product of a successful and talented team.
The first floor suspended concrete slab appears to float effortlessly on slender angled steel columns, and core-filled stack bond porcelain concrete blocks.
A well-prepared and executed pour saw innovation from the builder in sparing these blocks from wearing any concrete slurry.
The same care and skill had to be exercised with the pre-finished first-floor cladding- white FC sheet.
The crisp white exterior gives way to a kaleidoscope of colour and wonder internally.
The home provides a backdrop for the client’s eclectic collection of items gathered from travels near and far.
Extraordinary collaboration with the joiners saw the successful execution of the client’s wishes for a Mondrian-inspired art wall, concealing a guest wardrobe, which can be appreciated from the pool pavilion.
Beneath the razzle-dazzle, mechanics of the home include a PV array and inverter, with the capacity to hook up batteries in the near future, provision for future electric car charging, solar pool heating, and a 22,500 litre tank.
The project incorporates passive design principles, capturing ocean breezes that filter through the house, and is oriented to maximise the northern aspect while balancing acute privacy concerns.
Pine Avenue house is neither Palm Springs nor Ballina.
It draws upon Harley Graham Architect’s clients’ aspirations and unique location, to create a home that is both a canvas for the owner’s personality and is itself a pragmatic expression of his ode to mid-century design.
Project Details
Completion Date – 2020
Project Team
Architecture
Harley Graham Architects
Harley graduated from UNSW in Architecture and received the Board of Architects prize.
He was then selected to be a part of an innovative team within Lend Lease Design working on Masterplanned communities in Australia and the USA.
Soon after he traveled to Berlin, where he worked with Studio Daniel Libeskind on large mixed-use and cultural projects in Switzerland, the UK, and China. HGA was then founded in Berlin and slowly came of age in Byron Bay, Australia.
Harley has held teaching positions at UNSW, UTS and has tutored at Bond Uni.
Photography
Toby Scott
Toby is an established architecture, interiors, and lifestyle photographer based in Australia.
Photo Gallery
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Design © 2022 Harley Graham Architects. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2022 Toby Scott. All Rights Reserved.
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