Using commercial construction material injects drama into this new home

The look and ambience of this dramatic home are greatly informed by its principal construction material. Tilt-panel shuttered concrete presents many advantages – from cost savings, to speed and safety of install.

However, while tilt-panel concrete has long been embraced commercially for the above reasons, it’s only on strong, simple designs that it really comes into its own domestically – as with this home designed by Marcus Freeman and Hayden Ball with interior design and kitchen by Kirsty Davis.

“The home is nestled back into a valley with a warm, protected microclimate that makes it an ideal environment for creating sunny outdoor areas and to take in sweeping natural views,” says Ball.

Tucked into the base of a hill at the rear of the site, the long, simply arranged home comprises a run of bedrooms and a large garage at the back. At the front, the home opens up a sprawling open-plan living, dining and entertaining space.

“Our brief was for a light-filled home constructed with permanent, preformed materials,” says Freeman.

“The wealth of natural light is provided by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living area and also by a glassed hall linking the bedrooms at rear to the living spaces.”

The designers’ choice of a commercial tilt-slab concrete structure naturally gives the home an industrial, strong aesthetic. To add warmth and soften the look of the solid concrete walls and floors, timber batten ceilings were introduced throughout. This widespread use of natural wood also provides acoustical dampening to offset the potentially echoey concrete slabs.

As well as sheer speed of installation, and having no concrete wasted, the choice of tilt-panel concrete slabs was also great for the installation of cosy, in-slab heating.

And while tilt-panel slabs were perfect for creating the soaring, minimalist living spaces, they also made for an ideal building material for the front yard pool – even if the terrain made things slightly tricky.

“Achieving the preformed concrete pool entailed building a platform for the crane,” says Ball. “Even the preplanning here needed close, careful consideration.”

Interior designer Kirsty Davis says the large sunken lounge is a feature within the open-plan living area.

“This was achieved by dropping the fireplace into place, then designing panels around it for a seamless look,” she says.

“On the other side of the front-of-home entertaining zone, the generous kitchen is the hub of the large, open environment.”

Playing a similar, softening role to the wood battens, concealed lighting features throughout the home. For example, the corridor linking the bedrooms and living space includes a raised concrete floor panel, with a negative detail housing a warm strip light. Plus, strategic garden and outdoor lighting accentuates the dramatic façade.

While the tilt-panel design sets the cool, luxury aesthetic, it’s the sheltered site that allows for serene outdoor entertaining.

“The mature trees on the site give the illusion this house has been here for years,” says Ball. “The home’s elevation provides for beautiful views of the land around it, while a preformed concrete tilt-slab fence provides privacy from the road.”

Story by: Charles Moxham

Photography by: Anthony Turnham Snap Photography