Modernity in the Hinterland – Las Palmas by DUO Architects in Association with Davis Architects
Byron Bay’s verdant hinterland nurtures a harmonious spirit of liveability. Its temperate climate, sweeping panoramas, and spectrum of greens, burnished earthy tones and vivid blues inspire long days spent outdoors in gentle rhythm with the natural elements. Nestled within its embrace is a striking modernist family home by DUO Architects in association with Davis Architects that demonstrates a profound accord between mid-century architecture and the native Australian landscape.
Home to Matt, Sally and their three young children, Las Palmas is a culmination of design gestures that have emerged from equal parts nostalgia and myriad responses to its regional Australian context. Principal Architect Ed Davis recalls that “when we were first approached by our clients, they immediately expressed a desire to create a modern Palm Springs-inspired house. My reaction was one of excitement as Palm Springs architecture, and in particular the work of Richard Neutra, was something that had inspired my own practice for many years.”
Sally grew up in her grandparents’ home designed by legendary Australian modernist architect Robin Boyd, and her childhood memories have inspired a similar interpretation of the aesthetic at Las Palmas. The building exemplifies the movement’s most prolific characteristics – the engineering precision of a thin unbroken roofline that brings a tempered elegance to otherwise monumental volumes, the use of materials activating thresholds between interior and exterior echoing the qualities of the surrounding landscape, and the realisation of an architectural silhouette that lends a sense of levity to the built environment.
Las Palmas is a culmination of design gestures that have emerged from equal parts nostalgia and myriad responses to its regional Australian context.
Situated mid-way between the lowest and highest points of its gently undulating site, Las Palmas takes advantage of both the openness of the landscape to the west and the closed sense of sanctuary implied from the rising eastern side. “There was a sense that you could be tucked in and protected whilst at the same time commanding a very open view into a landscape that unfolded in layers in front of your eyes,” says Ed. This topography has naturally informed a design that cascades with the lie of the land while allowing for uninterrupted views. On approach, the site moves through three harmonious yet subtly distinct environments, from the untouched native landscape to manicured gardens and then the house itself, with the exterior design language negotiating between thresholds and amplifying again the rapport between the mid-century residence and its rural site.
Against a façade of pure white formwork, large windows and operable sliders bring a sense of graceful transparency, with fenestration concentrated on framing the outdoors. Deep eaves, a signature character of the mid-century style, provide passive interior shade when the sun is at its zenith while coaxing its low-lying winter warmth. Native Australian hardwood cladding and natural stone soften an otherwise robust materiality, referencing the colours of the landscape and introducing a relationship with local influences that strengthens further inside.
Las Palmas takes advantage of both the openness of the landscape to the west and the closed sense of sanctuary implied from the rising eastern side.
Internally, the home unfolds across two sleek linear wings, which pivot around a central foyer. One wing is dedicated to social connection while the other is devoted to quiet and sleep, divided again to separate the children’s rooms from the master suite and allow for acoustic privacy. The various zones of the home have been imbued with a sense of fluid navigation supported by burnished concrete flooring that flows through interior and exterior, anchoring the house and echoing qualities of robust earthiness that draw the eye outside. “The floors also create a depth and texture that adds another subtle layer to the overall design,” says Ed.
Continuing the use of local materials, concrete has been sourced via Geostone, with raw materials procured from nearby Ballina, Dunlope and Brunswick Heads. The mid-century legacy is underpinned by the shifts and variations to the style dependant on the use of regionally available materials. With this sentiment in mind, Geostone is supporting the evolution of modernist architecture within the Northern Rivers Region, an area already recognised for architectural excellence and progressive design. At Las Palmas, Geostone’s Coastal Cream polished concrete finds kinship with not only the architectural style but also the climate, regional context and the resilience and functionality fundamental within an enduring family home.
From the beauty of natural light’s interplay across a considered curation of materials to the deeply resonant sense of place consistently visible and tangibly enforced, Las Palmas demonstrates a purposeful response to liveability. Davis Architects and DUO Architects have strengthened the locale’s growing reputation for residential innovation, integrating with, amplifying and leveraging the striking natural beauty of Australia’s east coast. Ed acknowledges that “an important aspect of this design, given our clients’ affinity with the Palm Springs style, was to ensure that the end result was really respected within its location.” In a home exemplified by its collection of clean, simple architectural lines, family-focused ideology and the honest curation of local sourced materials, the Palm Springs ambiance feels like a natural outcome. A serendipitous endpoint that has emerged in response to the client brief and an intuitive reflection of place.
