The Light Vault residence was recently featured in ArchitectureAU and The Local Project. The project features our Epsilon panel in radiata pine on the ceiling to offset the cool tones of the concrete house.
The Light Vault residence by Chamberlain Architects in the Melbourne beachside suburb of Brighton is an example of what can happen when an architect and a client are completely aligned in their aesthetic choices.
This uncompromising new house was conceived as a “concrete bunker,” with luxurious, private space washed in light by multiple skylights.
With the intention to provoke different emotions in each space of the home, the Light Vault House takes the inhabitant on a journey, from an experience of austerity through to a composed serenity.
“You start in that double height entry void and the acoustics are quite resonant”, explains Glen. “Then you reach the timber ceiling. The whole sound of the space changes and it becomes really quiet and soft, which is very unexpected for people because they just see the concrete and think it must be very intense the whole way through,” he says.
The flow from the spacious double-height concrete walls in the entry to the timber-lined ceilings throughout the rest of the ground level enhances this notion of zoned spaces. Minimal in aesthetic, the open plan living, dining and kitchen is never the less rich in materials and textures.
Polished concrete floors and enormous cast in-situ concrete walls act as a reminder of the client brief. The hero of the space is the timber-panelled ceiling, the natural timber creating a covering of warmth contrasting with the concrete below. “The clients are in hospitality and run restaurants. They had requirements and specific ideas of how they wanted to entertain while at home,” Glen says.
