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Ahead of the Curve — La Casa Curvilínea by Doherty Building Group
Exquisitely crafted curves, organic materials and a buttery-warm colour palette form a modern interpretation of Mediterranean style in La Casa Curvilínea, home of Doherty Building Group’s Tyson and Teegan Doherty.
Located within salt-spray distance of the beach, this four-bedroom family home – built by Doherty Building Group – takes Mediterranean style and gives it a distinctly modern twist that’s simultaneously coolly minimalist and warmly welcoming. Tyson describes La Casa Curvilínea, which was designed with Dan Van Den Ham of Dan Van Architect and is the latest addition to the Doherty Building Group portfolio, as a “minimalist take on traditional Mediterranean design”, incorporating soft curves and arches, touchable materials like natural stone and textured Venetian plaster, a wealth of diffused natural light and, above all, a connection between indoors and out.
The latter is expressed through courtyards, hybrid spaces like the covered outdoor kitchen, skylights and roof gardens, and landscaping designed with a lush Mediterranean palette of olive trees and dusty tones. “Every facet of the home has been thoughtfully curated to offer a living experience that is not only practical but warm, inviting and visually striking,” says Tyson, whose company is a sought-after luxury builder on Victoria’s Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula.
The façade is wrapped in natural hardwood timber and interlocking steel panelling, the combination of neutral earthy tones, low profile and sleek curves presenting a serene exterior to the street. “The white standing-seam steel cladding was chosen to be able to seamlessly integrate the garage doors and to be curved around the home’s exterior,” Tyson says. “We opted for the blond timber to again highlight the curves and to wrap the eave line of the home. Teamed with the external limestone paving, we felt the colour tones were a perfect match for the home’s overall aesthetic.” Though subtle, the façade is studded with architectural Easter eggs that hint at the treasures within, like the rounded feature soffits with ceiling portals to the inbuilt roof gardens, from which tendrils of creeping native plants tumble and sway in the breeze. “We wanted greenery to be viewed from all angles to soften the façade materials and to create interest,” says Tyson.
“The voids not only create interest but allow for shadow play throughout the home, highlighting the wall textures.”
Seamlessly set into the vertical hardwood panels, the front door is an almost-hidden portal to a world of wonder, a space designed by Teegan and inspired both by the Mediterranean and the heart-rate-lowering serenity of a day spa. Traditionally sharp edges are softened by curves, showcasing an exceptional degree of craftsmanship. The curved hallway, punctuated by hand-moulded wall sconces and further illuminated from above by LED strip lighting, invites you to explore, flowing from the spacious entrance to the open-plan kitchen, dining and living spaces.
Light is the dominant leitmotif of La Casa Curvilínea, entering through the multiple connection points to the outdoors and filtering through the distinctive ceiling voids and skylights, which were a key focus during the planning phase and are a distinct trademark of Dan Van Architect. “The voids not only create interest but allow for shadow play throughout the home, highlighting the wall textures,” says Tyson. They range from discreet portals which spotlight alcoves to the wide circular kitchen skylight, centred in a four-metre-high ceiling void that adds seemingly endless height to the room and illuminates the kitchen with light all day long.
Inspired by the gentle Mediterranean light, Teegan opted for a consistently warm and creamy colour palette redolent of the late afternoon sun, with textured surfaces such as Venetian plaster walls bringing added dimension throughout. The use of plaster also allowed for unique features to be crafted, including the hand-moulded hallway wall sconces, pedestal basins in the bathrooms, and the embossed stencil wording in the entranceway, which welcomes you to La Casa Curvilínea.
All the most distinctive shapes and materials come together in the kitchen, which features skilfully made joinery by SCLK and integrated sinks, wash planes and benchtops by Newgrove. Arched architraves are echoed in the shape of the giant ceiling void and again in the cantilevered island bench. “Paired with Corian benchtops in Witch Hazel and Navurban’s Ashwood timber veneer cabinetry, we were able to create a calm palette that felt cohesive,” says Teegan of the material selection, which also includes white polished concrete flooring with a natural stone aggregate mix.
In a home packed shoulder-to-shoulder with wow moments, the pool stands out as something special. The centrepiece of the courtyard, its unique circular shape echoes the curves of the architecture while making a distinctive design statement. The interlinked spa has a rounded waterfall edge that draws the eye to the trio of curved pool steps, highlighted by milky pale Luna mosaic tiles by Geelong Tiles & Bathware. The pool fence is a feature in its own right, crafted from custom powder-coated white steel posts. “Each post was individually cast into the limestone paving and finished without any top rail, which took a lot of expertise and precision to execute,” says Tyson. The fencing secures the pool area, while flowing around and up to connect with the alfresco living space. The curved contours continue into the landscaping, with mounded garden beds and a seamless flow to the surrounding golf course.
From its curvaceous exterior to its light-filled interiors, La Casa Curvilínea is a minimal, modern interpretation of Mediterranean design, and a testament to both Tyson’s skill and vision as a builder and Teegan’s talent for creating interiors that imbue a deep sense of calm and refinement.
