Clovelly House

Location Clovelly NSW Architect /Building Designer Sarkis Hill Architects Builder Destech Building Group Bricks Used PGH Dry Pressed Mowbray Blue Winner of the 2014 Masonry Contractors Award for Single Residential Brickwork. When John Jabbour from the Destech Building Group set out to construct his new family home in the seaside suburb of Clovelly, one of the primary design objectives was to create an ultra-modern, high-tech, contemporary home whilst incorporating ‘heritage’ building materials that would complement the surrounding built environment. Upon approaching the home, a seven-metre high pixelated brick wall makes for a dramatic entrance. PGH Mowbray Blue Dry Pressed bricks were chosen for this feature wall as they work perfectly with the more contemporary elements used in the build. This imposing installation uses a Flemish bond, punctuated with random protrusions to create a sense of drama and style. Internally, triangular windows illuminate the brick feature wall, and create a space with a unique and playful geometry. An eclectic mix of modern and heritage building products and techniques have been used in the construction of the home, which meant that each elevation required specific material selection and placement. Along the western boundary, for instance, a combination of dry pressed common bricks, sandstone, glass and spotted gum timber panels were used to define the ground floor wall and boundary line. This wall then meets the zinc roof, which also forms the wall to the double volume entry space contained within. In contrast, the eastern and rear elevation of the home are set back from the boundary line, enabling a more conventional building technique to be implemented. In this instance the walls are constructed from double brick, again featuring PGH Mowbray Blue Dry Pressed face bricks for the outer skin and dry pressed commons for the inner skin. Dry Pressed commons are also used for the majority of the internal dividing walls due to their superior acoustic and thermal insulation properties that simply cannot be achieved with standard brick veneer or timber framed construction. As evidenced by the above photos, and the 2014 Masonry Contractors Award, this home is a great example of how, with the right materials, modern architecture can borrow from the past and still deliver into the future.