Among the diverse and talented field vying for the prestigious Houses Awards in the Alteration and Addition over 200m2 category is Owen Architecture’s remarkable Wavell Heights Mansion. This ingenious design takes the traditional Australian suburban brick home and translates it into a stunning modernist statement.
Located in the leafy Brisbane suburb of Wavell Heights, the two-story residence presents a crisp, white sculptural facade accented by brickwork. A series of broad arches frame windows and arched doorways, lending an air of understated grandeur.
The arched motif continues inside, where light-filled living areas open onto an elegant outdoor terrace and pool area surrounded by lush tropical landscaping.
What makes this project so compelling is how Owen Architecture has taken the familiar forms and materials of the conventional suburban house and reinterpreted them in an exquisitely composed, contemporary manner. Traditional architectural elements like arched windows, verandahs, and bricks are reimagined and synthesised into a cohesive, livable design of restraint and refinement.
By deftly straddling the line between fresh and familiar, Owen’s Wavell Heights Mansion project exemplifies how to revitalise an established residential archetype without resorting to imitation or excessive ornamentation. It represents suburban domestic architecture recalibrated for the 21st century through an intelligent, highly-considered design approach.
This daring yet grounded design holds a well-deserved place among the exemplary projects shortlisted for the Alteration and Addition over 200m2 award category. Owen Architecture’s ability to extract new meaning from the ordinary epitomises housing design at its most skilful and transformative.
Published 6-May-2024