Upon being given a brief for the house, InForm Design were asked to ensure they created a dwelling that ‘should not look like a house’. Enter Brighton East 3 House, an abstract domicile featuring a number of textural implementations that oppose one another.
Sitting adjacent to a single storey black box garage, a double storey breeze block screen sits in front of a full height, fully glazed facade. The screen maximises privacy and allows for light to be diffused and dance across walls due to the patterns found on the panels. Moving past the facade, the building opens to a lower courtyard and basement. An entry bridge leads to a double height entry hall which eventually moves into a series of split level living spaces opening to courtyard gardens.
The ground floor comprises the main living spaces, a study and living area, which overlooks the lower courtyard and large screen. A bedroom sits behind the living room with its own private access to the garden. The first floor possesses three bedrooms, each with their own ensuite, as well as the master suite that holds a strong connection to the garden below.
Roughcast concrete, black timber panelling, curved walls, and black joinery elements and a concrete floor culminate to form an interior material palette of raw proportions. The spaces meld into one thanks to the fluid nature of the floorplan and textural elements, with timber joinery and screens providing further contrast. A polished plaster spiral staircase adds further textural intrigue to the interior as it weaves between the ground and first floors.
The external spaces have been crafted in a manner that enables them to be additional living areas. Extra concrete walls, plantations, a pool with a water feature and a black steel cabana with a web forged steel canopy ensure the abstract nature of the domicile is carried into the external offerings, with the canopy providing shade for outdoor entertainment and/or relaxation.
Brighton East 3 House’s name sounds something like a commercial enterprise, and given the brief given to InForm, you’d be forgiven for believing this was the case. With an abundance of intriguing textural pieces, the home is one monolithic juxtaposition. Captivating and wonderfully confusing in equal measure, the home is a feast for the eyes in each and every space.
