Clean Lines and Minimalist Materials Characterise This Family Home

Local firm Taouk Architects designed Bramley Court as a distinctive addition to the neighbourhood’s streetscape, while interiors and outdoor space were designed for socialising and entertaining 

Surrounded by more classical types of architecture in the Sackville Ward of Melbourne’s inner suburb of Kew, Bramley Court, designed by local firm Taouk Architects, is a distinctive building that embraces clean lines and contemporary design.

‘The clients wanted a contemporary and minimalist architectural statement, with a sense of grandness when people walk through the door,’ Youseph Taouk, director of Taouk Architects, explains. As the house sits on a relatively small site, the architects had to utilise the space extremely efficiently. Internal and external living spaces were designed to connect in order to create one large space that caters to the family’s love for entertaining. As the parents of two teenage boys, the clients also stressed the importance of each family member having their own space. 

A simple and neutral aesthetic characterises the home. The exterior is covered in a single render colour finish and glazing, while inside polished concrete, plaster and timber cladding predominate. At the rear of the house is a cantilevered portion fully encased in glass. ‘We love the look of concrete and large expanses of glazing, so we wanted to utilise those elements in this project,’ Taouk says.

The home is also designed to capture as much northern light as possible, as well as to create a sense of spaciousness. The latter comes in the form of 3.6-metre-high ceilings, a double-height entrance and spacious rooms. A large concealed pivot door leads to the study, which is separated from the rest of the house and wrapped in custom timber cladding and concealed by a pivot door wrapped in the same cladding. Outside, the cantilevered barbeque bench, built-in fire pit and above-ground swimming pool make the backyard the perfect spot for entertaining. 

Text / Babette Radclyffe-Thomas 
Images / Veeral Patel