From the architect:
The Brisbane River, or Brown Snake as commonly known by locals, is one of Brisbane's most desired residential locations. Resting along this beautiful river bank in St Lucia is the Hawken House. Among the breezy trees, boat ways and prestigious University of Queensland, is a melting pot of inhabitants. Uni students, retirees, and families all live throughout, making the area quite engaging and very desirable.
The owners of the Hawken House are retired doctors, with a family of three grown up children and grandchildren. After meeting with a handful of Architects, the owners were instantly excited by Johnny, the Director of OH Architecture, and his instant impulse to climb up on the existing building roof to see the potential views of the river and city that the new house could capture. And capture he did. It was the opportunities of the site, the consideration of the sloping block, coupled with the changing family dynamic and also future proofing for retirement, that drove the brief of this striking new build.
Hawken was designed to cater for large groups when the family are home, as well as small intimate spaces for the owners to spend their days in retirement. That may be in the library, on the rooftop terrace, or cooking in the open plan kitchen. With multiple storeys, the view and natural breezes are evident throughout the house, with passive design principles at the forefront. To highlight this light and airy feel, a massive internal void with skylights sits prominently in the centre of the house, only exaggerating the monumental scale and adding drama to the interior.
Externally the materials are strong and bold, with formed concrete and standing seam maxline. Greyed timber windows allows the timber to fade in a controlled manner to give it a natural feel. Internally the palette is reflected with black and timber laminate and beautiful honed concrete and Tasmanian Oak floors. The client's personalities have a quirky yet minimal side, so the interior decor is simple with pops of colour and playful shapes.
