Modern Yet Timeless Minimalism - Brighton Luxe by Carr
Inspired by a considered and curated connection to the outdoors, with Brighton Luxe, Carr combines the highly crafted with a refined minimalism, destined to endure the tests of time and honour the rituals of daily life.
With a passionate team behind the project, Brighton Luxe was conceived as a template for the modern, refined and considered residential experience. Developers Landream and V-Leader joined forces with Carr to imagine this aspiring and lightfilled immersion into Melbourne’s beachside milieu of Brighton.
Carr Director of Architecture Chris McCue says, “the form of the building is modern but timeless. One of the key features is the large portal windows, which bring in natural light and greenery. These framed portals create an articulated repetition on the façade, puncturing through to the interiors.” Landscaping by Tract softens the built edge, and careful planning allows for effortless transitions, creating blurred boundaries between formal zones and between inside and out.
A studio known for its minimal and restrained approach, Carr set out to create a resolved interior spatial arrangement with view corridors, axis and symmetry. “It is in this kind of order that a space can feel peaceful,” Chris explains. Through this careful and rigorous approach to planning, each internal space has access to natural light as a key contributor to the soul infused within. “Light plays a key role in this project. Natural light is captured through the large portal windows, flooding the interiors with light and aspects to the greenery,” Chris continues. “Architectural lighting has been integrated to gently wash the walls, also taking into account the lighting of artwork.”
A strong sense of consistency comes through in the detailing, which flows from the exterior to the interior. Deliberately designed with the client in mind, the materiality creates an intentional richness to the layers within each of the spaces. In describing the approach to materiality, Carr Senior Designer Rita D’Souza says, “the material palette on this project, both inside and out, is inspired by its Brighton location. Conveying an urban seaside environment, the materiality is centred on sandy textures with light, airy materials, each chosen to reflect a sense of place. The layering of each material also brings in a crafted, textural quality, while the detailing adds finesse.”
This timeless, effortless and minimal palette comprises Silver Stone Marble, a vibrant oak timber veneer and warming Tongue n Groove timber floor throughout. The close collaboration with Tongue n Groove created the opportunity to ensure the quality and integrity of the materiality was well-rounded. “The oak floors, laid in a chevron pattern, bring elegance and durability to the project,” says Rita. “We worked hard to match the timber floors with the rest of the materials so that collectively they worked a seamless whole. It was important to have a solid, long lasting floor finish.”
Describing the solid engineered European oak floorboards in the Freado colour, Richard Karsay, director of Tongue n Groove says, “keeping true to the original European oak colour and Eterno classic wire-brushed finish, Freado creates a neutral backdrop for any application – a sophisticated design gesture. Our Chevron Parquetry provides a harmonious fusion of old luxury and contemporary graphic charm.”
