The Gap House

Project Overview

This new residence in The Gap demonstrates how contemporary residential architecture can create meaningful connections between interiorspaces and Brisbane's subtropical landscape. The clients approached QuorumStudios seeking a maintenance-free home that wouldmaximize views and naturallight while allowing them to remain on the property during construction.The compact home accommodates two bedrooms, two bathrooms (including ensuite with bath),dedicated office space, and open plan living centered around a generous kitchen with butler's pantry. The clients' passion for cooking drove the kitchen dimensions,while their preference for honest, durable materials shaped the overallaesthetic.

Site positioning was carefully considered to maximize northern light, capture optimalviews, and provide acoustic buffering. We used drone photography during design to identify sight lines that influenced the placementof living spaces and window orientations. The architectural language draws from refined contemporary design principles, emphasizing materials that age gracefully and require minimal upkeep. Largef ormat glazing opens the interior to carefully framed views, while the interplay between solid forms and transparent elements creates dynamicelevations that shift throughout the day.

The home is organized around a central open-plan living area with double volume ceilings, creating dramatic height that allows the space to feel significantly larger than its footprint. Ceiling heights step between 2.7 meters in bedroom wings and the double volume in living areas, establishing spatial hierarchy that defines different zones within the compact plan. Warm timberf looring throughout livingspaces provides acoustic and thermal benefits. Where timber floor structure was proposed, Hebel panels were explored as infill to eliminate hollow feeling and contribute to the home's sense of permanence.

 The glazing strategy deliberately engages with Brisbane's subtropical climate.Every window is positioned to capture specific views, admit northern light, or facilitate cross-ventilation. Northern orientation of principal living spaces allows deep winter sun penetration while generous eaves provide essential summer shading. Combined with integrated solar power, this passive design approach positions the home for minimal energyconsumption.

Early builder collaboration was explored to establish preliminary costing and potentially secure the construction partner during design. This integrated approach, characteristic of Quorum Studios' practice, ensures buildability, budget considerations, and technical requirements inform design decisions from the outset rather than emerging as obstacles during documentation.

 The result is a thoughtfully considered home that balances aesthetic ambition with practical requirements, engages meaningfully with its site and climate,and responds directly to how the clients want to live. The contemporary vocabulary develops logically from stated preferences for minimal ornamentation, durable materials, and easy maintenance—architecture that matters because it improves daily living while demonstrating the value skilled residential architects bring to creating homes.

‍