Framed by Earth & Sky - The Torquay House by Luke Fry

This double-storey structure creates a series of stacked volumes inspired by Richard Neutra’s iconic Kaufmann House, with dark brickwork forming a solid base and a barestone-clad upper section creating a textural contrast. This subtle contrast in materials and tone exemplifies Luke Fry’s approach to materiality. An emphasis on durable, time-honoured materials grounds the design, with a minimalist sensibility that is enlivened by layers of texture.

Above all, the project is driven by a belief in the value of materials that will stand the test of time. “We focus on honest and proven materials to produce an edited palette, which creates a refined simplicity,” explains Luke. “We keep it very simple, concrete, brick, stone, timber, steel, glass. It will look as good in 100 years as it does today.”

While the combination of exposed concrete, brick and glass lends the Torquay House a sense of substance and mass that is appropriate to the expanse of the surrounding landscape, “our work is best appreciated at the human scale,” says Luke. “The look, feel, touch, function of that element you use every day – it could be a handrail detail or the position of a window so the light hits the right spot when you read your Sunday paper,” he continues. In this way, layers of texture and tactile materials such as timber and natural stone in the kitchens and bathrooms, a window seat in the living space or the experience of diffused natural light from the skylight above the shower create a sense of connection between the inhabitants and the design.

Focusing on the human experience of the structure and the home’s connection to the landscape, the Torquay House displays a contextually-responsive approach design. The result is a home designed to create a low-maintenance coastal lifestyle for the clients in a refined and considered example of architecture that enhances the lives of its inhabitants while shaping and enhancing an experience of place.