Cove House

Cove House is a robust yet elegant new residence in a waterside suburb south of Brisbane. It is a rich and tactile exploration into thresholds and edges. Thresholds between public and private within the house and also the edges between the house and its external context. An off-form curved concrete wall invites you in past a delicate timber-batten screen and through a series of landscaped courtyards through to the water beyond. The courtyards exist at the threshold between public and private space within the house and allow dappled natural light to flood deep within the interior living spaces. The ground plane of the house is articulated and meanders up and down at times encouraging engagement or reflection. These areas flow together beneath a single floating roofline that helps organise the concrete and timber form of the house below. Indoor and outdoor spaces are given the same priority within a house that connects its inhabitants strongly at all times to both water and garden. Architect: Justin Humphrey Architects Photographer: Andy Macpherson