Photography by Sam Penninger - Styling by Selena White

Halcyon 5 favours restraint over a single grand gesture, the kind of long-view thinking that has always shaped our best family homes. Rather than resting on one defining move, the house is composed as a sequence of carefully proportioned spaces, each contributing to a broader sense of order, clarity and calm — a home built around liveability as much as presence. ​ At its centre, kitchen, dining and living areas form a generous social heart, extending naturally out toward the entertaining areas and landscape beyond. This central zone works as hard for a quiet weeknight as it does for a full house of guests, holding a strong, easy connection between inside and out at every scale. ​ Private accommodation is deliberately zoned — the main suite set apart as its own retreat, the children's spaces arranged as a cohesive wing of their own. That separation lets the home hold togetherness and privacy at once, built to adapt comfortably as the family within it changes.

Haus des Jahres 2014 Diese moderne Flachdachvilla, entworfen für eine 4köpfige Familie in Pfaffenhofen, erhielt den ersten Preis im Wettbewerb „Haus des Jahres“, veranstaltet von Europas größter Wohnzeitschrift „Schöner Wohnen“. Mit seinen formalen Bezügen zum Bauhaus besticht der L-förmige Bau durch seine großflächigen Glasfronten, über die Licht und Luft im Innern erschlossen werden. Das begeisterte die Jury ebenso wie „die moderne Interpretation der Holztafelbauweise, deren wetterunabhängige, präzise und schnelle Vorfertigung an Qualität nicht zu überbieten ist“. Sichtbeton, Holz und Glas dominieren die ästhetische Schlichtheit des Gebäudes, akzentuiert durch Elemente wie die historische, gusseiserne Stütze im Wohnbereich. Diese wurde bewusst als sichtbares, statisches Element der Gesamtkonstruktion eingesetzt und zur Geltung gebracht. Ein ganz besonderer Bestandteil der Innengestaltung ist auch die aus Blockstufen gearbeitet Eichentreppe, die nicht nur dem funktionalen Auf und AB dient sondern ebenso Sitzgelegenheit bietet. Die zahlreichen Designklassiker aus den 20er bis 60er Jahren, eine Leidenschaft der Bauherrin, tragen zu der gelungenen Symbiose aus Bauhaus, Midcentury und 21. Jahrhundert bei. Im Erdgeschoss gehen Küche, Essbereich und Wohnen ineinander über. Diese Verschmelzung setzt sich nach außen fort, deutlich sichtbar am Kaminblock, der von Innen und Außen nutzbar ist. Über dem Essbereich öffnet sich ein Luftraum zum Obergeschoss, in dem die privaten Bereiche der Familie und eine Dachterrasse mit Panoramablick untergebracht sind.

Exterior - Front Entry Beach House at Avoca Beach by Architecture Saville Isaacs Project Summary Architecture Saville Isaacs https://www.architecturesavilleisaacs.com.au/ The core idea of people living and engaging with place is an underlying principle of our practice, given expression in the manner in which this home engages with the exterior, not in a general expansive nod to view, but in a varied and intimate manner. The interpretation of experiencing life at the beach in all its forms has been manifested in tangible spaces and places through the design of pavilions, courtyards and outdoor rooms. Architecture Saville Isaacs https://www.architecturesavilleisaacs.com.au/ A progression of pavilions and courtyards are strung off a circulation spine/breezeway, from street to beach: entry/car court; grassed west courtyard (existing tree); games pavilion; sand+fire courtyard (=sheltered heart); living pavilion; operable verandah; beach. The interiors reinforce architectural design principles and place-making, allowing every space to be utilised to its optimum. There is no differentiation between architecture and interiors: Interior becomes exterior, joinery becomes space modulator, materials become textural art brought to life by the sun.   Project Description Architecture Saville Isaacs https://www.architecturesavilleisaacs.com.au/ The core idea of people living and engaging with place is an underlying principle of our practice, given expression in the manner in which this home engages with the exterior, not in a general expansive nod to view, but in a varied and intimate manner. The house is designed to maximise the spectacular Avoca beachfront location with a variety of indoor and outdoor rooms in which to experience different aspects of beachside living. Client brief: home to accommodate a small family yet expandable to accommodate multiple guest configurations, varying levels of privacy, scale and interaction. A home which responds to its environment both functionally and aesthetically, with a preference for raw, natural and robust materials. Maximise connection – visual and physical – to beach. The response was a series of operable spaces relating in succession, maintaining focus/connection, to the beach. The public spaces have been designed as series of indoor/outdoor pavilions. Courtyards treated as outdoor rooms, creating ambiguity and blurring the distinction between inside and out. A progression of pavilions and courtyards are strung off circulation spine/breezeway, from street to beach: entry/car court; grassed west courtyard (existing tree); games pavilion; sand+fire courtyard (=sheltered heart); living pavilion; operable verandah; beach. Verandah is final transition space to beach: enclosable in winter; completely open in summer. This project seeks to demonstrates that focusing on the interrelationship with the surrounding environment, the volumetric quality and light enhanced sculpted open spaces, as well as the tactile quality of the materials, there is no need to showcase expensive finishes and create aesthetic gymnastics. The design avoids fashion and instead works with the timeless elements of materiality, space, volume and light, seeking to achieve a sense of calm, peace and tranquillity. Architecture Saville Isaacs https://www.architecturesavilleisaacs.com.au/ Focus is on the tactile quality of the materials: a consistent palette of concrete, raw recycled grey ironbark, steel and natural stone. Materials selections are raw, robust, low maintenance and recyclable. Light, natural and artificial, is used to sculpt the space and accentuate textural qualities of materials. Passive climatic design strategies (orientation, winter solar penetration, screening/shading, thermal mass and cross ventilation) result in stable indoor temperatures, requiring minimal use of heating and cooling. Architecture Saville Isaacs https://www.architecturesavilleisaacs.com.au/ Accommodation is naturally ventilated by eastern sea breezes, but sheltered from harsh afternoon winds. Both bore and rainwater are harvested for reuse. Low VOC and non-toxic materials and finishes, hydronic floor heating and ventilation ensure a healthy indoor environment. Project was the outcome of extensive collaboration with client, specialist consultants (including coastal erosion) and the builder. The interpretation of experiencing life by the sea in all its forms has been manifested in tangible spaces and places through the design of the pavilions, courtyards and outdoor rooms. The interior design has been an extension of the architectural intent, reinforcing architectural design principles and place-making, allowing every space to be utilised to its optimum capacity. There is no differentiation between architecture and interiors: Interior becomes exterior, joinery becomes space modulator, materials become textural art brought to life by the sun. Architecture Saville Isaacs https://www.architecturesavilleisaacs.com.au/ https://www.architecturesavilleisaacs.com.au/

The front entrance of Making Place House features slim aluminium windows integrated into the contemporary architectural design. These carefully detailed openings allow natural light into the home while maintaining a clean, modern appearance that complements the rural West Yorkshire setting.

Chris Snook

Recycled Brick Pizza Oven

The complete restoration to a transitional bungalow/villa in Devnport, Auckland with a modern extension to the back. Jaime Corbel

This is a contemporary garden space created for a newly built property offering multiple areas for outside relaxation and featuring a pool with fountain jets, table top topiarised plane trees, multi stemmed feature trees and a meadow style planting scheme. Photographs by the designer, John Davies

A tired, small 1970's house was refurbished and extended to become a modern, light-filled, sunny family home. The original house didn't take advantage of its leafy, expansive site, so the extension pushed north and opened up to the sun and outdoors. Living areas flow onto spacious, sunny outdoor areas to the north, and a generous hallway flows through to a new pool and the mature, leafy trees of the neighbouring park. A strong, geometric form sits wide on the site and its pitched roof creates open, airy, light-filled interior spaces. High windows give glimpses of the sky and surrounding trees, and side windows provide a green, leafy outlook to the reserve next door. A muted but rich finishes palette and carefully designed cabinetry complement the lofty architecture. This busy young family can now live and thrive in their beautifully spacious, well-functioning home.

The entrance to this home is so charming with all of the character detailing now shiny and restored. It's very inviting.