264 Bay Street Brighton by Matyas Architects & Interiors

264 Bay Street stands as a unique architectural endeavour, where Matyas Architects & Interiors crafts a space tailored for both commercial purposes and residential living.

Encompassing a commercial tenancy, design studio and private residence, 264 Bay Street is a tripartite project that exemplifies a unified architectural cohesion of the three entities while retaining privacy and distinction between them. As both the residence of architect John Matyas and headquarters for Matyas Architects & Interiors, the project provides a living example of the studio’s approach – and John’s 38 years of practice – while also offering a unique opportunity for experimentation to extend their design thinking across both commercial and residential typologies.

The home is a symphony of textures, the flow of sand-blasted cedar that is used to form the concrete portico providing organic relief to the cool rectilinear forms of the white bricks that frame the structure.

The street interface presents a three-storey sculptural form where a sweeping curve of board-formed concrete pulls one’s eye to the scale of the project. This monumental feature conceals a full-length upper-level courtyard, which is only betrayed by rosemary cascading down the face of the curve. The home is a symphony of textures, the flow of sand-blasted cedar that is used to form the concrete portico providing organic relief to the cool rectilinear forms of the white bricks, supplied by Adbri, that frame the structure.

After 20 years in a humble office in Middle Park and commuting from Brighton, John had been looking for an opportunity to build a new location for Matyas Architects & Interiors. Looking without success for a decade, John and his wife were having a coffee at the cafe next to the future site of their long-awaited residence when they saw the For Sale sign. On the site already was a small single-level dwelling, set far back from the street between two double-storey restaurants, an incongruence among a continuous line of shopfronts in Bay Street Village. Ideally located only 1.5 kilometres from the beach and close to North Brighton station and a host of amenities, the location seemed perfect, with north-south orientation and mixed-use zoning. The pair started making plans then and there.

The residence and studio share a street entrance, set back from the footpath to buffer the transition and provide room for a small garden of nandinas and maples.

After navigating finance and planning processes, the build commenced in 2019, continuing through Covid delays and difficulties in material supply and availability. The result is a four-storey union of residence, studio and commercial tenancy. It was worth the wait, according to John, “the change in lifestyle has been great. I was travelling 25–30 minutes from Brighton [to Middle Park] but I don’t use the car very often anymore. I calculated I could save as much as five hours a week. It’s like the equivalent of adding another productive workday to your week. Being able to walk down the stairs in seconds; it’s pretty ideal.”

The residence and studio share a street entrance, set back from the footpath to buffer the transition and provide room for a small garden of nandinas and maples. Passing under the glazed portico, a line of red-blue clinker bricks leads to the panelled black doorway. The brickwork continues through the communal space and up the stairs, a nod to the original villa. The earthy shades and tonal variation of the bricks counter the light tones and uniform pattern of the white brickwork and concrete. Custom timber handrails lead up the stairwell, a tactile experience that is a warm invitation to the studio and then residence.

The second-storey location of the studio means that the north-facing apertures look directly into and over the canopy of the elm trees lining Bay Street, filling the studio with dappled light in summer.

John had designed and built the previous office in Middle Park, but as a tenant. Now, as an owner, he had the opportunity to create his ideal space, including more storage to reduce visual clutter and underfloor hydronic heating – a luxurious comfort for commercial spaces. The captivating materiality of the street interface continues internally, with timber flooring, formed concrete and white brickwork creating lively visual variation. “The concrete surfaces are solid but not hard,” says John. “They’re warm because of their textural qualities and the way they catch light.” With a larger footprint, the studio is primarily open plan, but with meeting rooms for optional privacy, as well as collaborative gathering spaces and a generous island bench where plans, sketches and samples can be strewn across while brainstorming with clients.

Residential design elements have been cleverly integrated into the office, both to create a comfortable working environment and to demonstrate these options for clients. Throughout the project, but notably in the studio, generous openings allow natural light to penetrate. In particular, the second-storey location of the studio means that the north-facing apertures look directly into and over the canopy of the elm trees lining Bay Street, filling the studio with dappled light in summer.

Curved forms abound through the residence, exhibiting John’s fondness for introducing a sculptural element into his work.

Further up the stairs, aluminium battens demarcate the residential landing from the studio entry. Light is introduced from an impressive full-length skylight, as well as double-height glazing in cathedral glass, drawing in movement and illumination from the street while retaining privacy. Passing through the double-height entry, one is greeted by the generous volume of the space, with the residence occupying the third and fourth floors. A stairwell to the left leads to the bedrooms, and a courtyard with sliding doors anchors the centre of the home, which can be opened to invite the greenery of the curved planter inside.

Curved forms abound through the residence, exhibiting John’s fondness for introducing a sculptural element into his work. An undulating white brick wall softens the transition to the dining and living space while concealing the kitchen from the entry and creating pantry storage on the concave side. These curves continue to the island bench and beyond, creating a sense of flow. Balustrades and apertures are tactfully placed to allow lower levels to borrow views to the sky and introduce additional natural light. Lattice brickwork along the west wall of the courtyard brings an interplay of light and shadow into the space as golden sunset hues seemingly wander across its surface.

The majestic scale and curved and linear forms have been tactfully used to create flow and relief.

A unity of texture and materiality coheres the three typologies of the new home of John Matyas and Matyas Architects & Interiors. The majestic scale and curved and linear forms have been tactfully used to create flow and relief. John experiments with form and material, finding and expressing warmth and life with concrete and brick. A boon for John and his family, as well as having a beautiful new home and office, it is only a short trip up the stairs to have lunch together every day.

Architecture and interior design by Matyas Architects & Interiors. Build by Hendco. Landscape design by Le Page Design. Engineering by Maurice Farrugia & Associates. Joinery by Planera. Timber-look surface by Elton Group.