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design
mag |
69
We asked Brian Lowe why he recommended
concrete masonry for this project.“It’s
fashionable at the moment, people like it,”
he says.The coloured smooth-face blocks
“just sit there nicely and don’t dominate the
facade.They are not meant to be a feature.
The spilt face units are a feature, the cedar is
a feature and the amount of glass is a
feature.The rest you just want to lose.”
Lowe specifies the split face masonry units
“quite a bit, both the 90 mm and slim 45
mm.The 90 mm is more of a brick size so it
isn’t quite as sharp a detail as the 45 mm
but it’s a little cheaper and it still gives you a
good contrast to the rest of the building. But
if you want something really smart we use
the slim concrete masonry units. It’s a really
good, sharp finish.”
The location within metres of salt water
requires special attention to finish and
fittings.These Austral Masonry units are
classified as Exposure Grade and therefore
suitable for use in a saline environment.The
wall ties are stainless steel, as are the gutters
and numerous other fittings such as
brackets, deck nails and external taps.
Commercial grade aluminium trims were
also specified.
The owners are keen entertainers and very
pleased that the design allows them to
balance this with the demands of their
young family.The peloton may be keen to
thunder down Beach Road but this family is
content to gaze over Port Philip Bay from
their panoramic vantage point.
The main entry to the 63-square house is
from the side street and leads into a
spectacular double-height atrium.The split
face units extend into the entry, flanking
stairs and a lift.Their mortar joint finish was
carefully chosen.The horizontal (or bed)
joints are raked as is conventional practice
whereas the vertical (or perpend) joints
are flush.The resulting horizontal lines give
further emphasis to the slim format of these
masonry units.This technique was also
used by Frank Lloyd Wright in his famous
Prairie Style designs.
The building sits on a slab on ground and
uses conventional veneer construction with
timber flooring above.The upper level is
clad in rendered polystyrene.
Photography:
Roger du Buisson