Sitting pretty over Brisbane’s Stunning Vistas, this home really has all the elements for a city-dwelling abode that keeps its inhabitants happy.
In order to get those incredible views that Brisbane’s Stunning Vistas offer, while create a king of a home, sometimes risks have to be taken, and that is exactly what Monster Ideas Architects, along with Aurelien Berson Construction, championed with this abode.
As their name suggests, these architects don’t shy away from a challenge. In fact, championing challenges is the bread and butter to their business, and this home was no exception.
The plot was not an easy one. It was a vacant 400sqm slot with steep, sloping land rising up from a one-way street. The 10m incline from the road meant clever thinking was required to create a comfortable living space that felt both warm and liveable. Of course, the skill of building on a steep slope is finding that sweet spot between making the home feel that it is not on a steep slope at all, while also capitalising on all the best things that the elevation provides.
To make this happen, builders Aurelien Berson Construction, who are also the homeowners, placed the pool, living, kitchen and dining areas complete with backyard on one level. They then moved to the top of the space and took advantage of that steep slope by perching an infinity pool on level three of four of the build, enabling it to capture magical sunsets over the cityscape.
This is a family home that houses five, including three children under the age of 10. With this in mind, it was imperative to create ample space for all members to co-exist together, which was achieved effortlessly across four levels of the home. The residence consists of five bedrooms and five bathrooms and occupies a full space of 600sqm, the majority of which goes upwards, of course.
Perching a pool on the upper levels of a home brings with it complex planning and it is no easy feat to place an infinity pool on a third floor. However, the challenge was worth it. “The best part was the city fitting exactly into the frameless window opening, which gave the impression of a picture frame,” explains Aurelien Berson, director of Aurelien Berson Construction, enabling the sort of picture-perfect vista that one can only dream of from a third floor.
The Brisbane’s Stunning Vistas is not solely relished from the third floor though; the entire abode was constructed with viewpoints in mind from every storey, whether out through lower-level living rooms and private bedrooms, or even from the master bedroom, which is really the masterpiece of the home, reaching skywards from its premium fourth-floor positioning. “The master bedroom is on the last level, on the top of the world,” muses Aurelien.
Each level is an ascent in style and grandeur. Minimalism coats the rooms with neutrals or black, white and grey dusted with warm timbers offset by cool concrete. The home oozes city-chic with its sophisticated spaces that unfold to the eye as one climbs through each room. Smart choices were made along this journey, such as double-glazed windows that could reflect the western sun using Low-E glass when needed, which could, of course, fold effortlessly away almost as though not even there to begin with, enabling a completely unobstructed view out over the city.
A decadent freestanding concrete bath offers a moment of privacy, encouraging ultimate relaxation. Its installation offered the homeowners yet another opportunity to conquer a challenge given its 350kg weight, requiring it to be lifted via crane from the floor above it before it could take its final resting place. As Aurelien explains, these moments make living in the dwelling sweeter. In his words, “Any bath the kids take is well earned, and the house is very special because itis very practical despite sitting on the edge of a cliff.”
FIXTURES & FITTINGS
Windows, doors and frame Bretts
Benchtop Staron Solid Surface by Austaron Surfaces
Cabinetry Vivid
Renders and micro-cement Bespoke
Timber floor Tongue and Groove
Tiles Stone 3
Precast concrete element Blend Concrete Design
Precast colours bath ABI
Tapware Phoenix
Words Alexandra Longstaff; Photography Mitchell Guy Kemp
This article originally appeared in Grand Designs Building Guide #2
