To look at the breathtaking result, you'd never dream that Tobias Partners, the architects, and Bellevarde Constructions, the builder, had to overcome multiple challenges when designing and constructing this new home. Not the least was the dramatic three storey slope from the road to the water's edge, as well as privacy and environmental considerations including Sydney's intense afternoon sun, unpredictable coastal winds and the corrosive, salty area that is Bondi. But overcome them they did, with aplomb.
Deepwater House presents an impressive and visually solid facade, adorned with white concrete, Burmese teak and handmade Kolumba bricks in two nine-metre-high perforated brick screens. Nick Tobias, Founding Principal, Tobias Partners, says, "We did a lot of research to find the right brick for the patterned screen walls .... We wanted density at the bottom and lightness at the top. To achieve this effect, we needed the thinnest bricks we could find, which turned out to be Kolumba by Petersen Tegl." And Nick continues, "The bright, rustic Danish bricks stand in beautiful contrast to the raw concrete, the white plaster facade and the cobblestone pavement in front of the house. For the screens we drew on Indian and Asian influences, but used a European product, which is actually a typically Australian way of doing things."
The house also has an equally compact and incredibly creative internal design, complete with hand-crafted joinery and hardware, a carefully curated display of paintings and sculptures, and a brilliant work of art on the roof terrace by Danish-Australian artist Mika Utzon Popov, created using custom made Petersen K21 bricks.
The development of this artwork is a complete story in itself, beautifully told in the Petersen. It shows how Utzon Popov faced one of the greatest challenges to deliver the most significant commissionof his career, but how he experienced, first hand, the intimate connection between art and architecture.
You can read the entire spread here in the Petersen magazine. You can also read about both of these amazing 'artworks' by clicking on these links: On the Rocks and Wonder Walls found in Wish Magazine.
And Robertson's Building Products will always openly welcome a phone call or email for more information about Petersen bricks on +613 8199 9599 and [email protected].
