A Perfectly Designed Modern Home Built to Stand the Test of Time (House Tour)

Comprising two New Farm houses, Cross Street is a perfectly designed modern home that offers flexible living spaces suited to all types of residents, from young couples to empty nesters. To create high-quality homes that will stand the test of time, Aphora Architecture considers layout, access and the effect of materials.

Crafted in the Brisbane suburb of New Farm, a perfectly designed modern home forms new additions to the built environment. “New Farm is a unique suburb in that it’s surrounded by the Brisbane River,” says Andrew Forsyth, director at Aphora Architecture. “It's a beautiful, leafy suburb, full of Queenslanders and heritage buildings, so this is quite a unique project in being two brand new houses.” To settle the project in its site, Aphora Architecture develops thoughtful floor plans. While the lowest level manages parking, the services and entrance, the middle floor is designed to link the living areas to the natural ground level. This allows spaces to run up from the rear of the home and provide a southern view of New Farm. On the top floor, a clear distinction is made between the private bedrooms and the social living areas below.

“One of the big issues that's facing Australia in the coming years is managing an ageing population,” says Forsyth. “It’s something that's becoming more common in our work, to be thinking about people growing old in a building.” The accessibility of Cross Street is boosted through hallways wider than average and bathrooms that, useable to all, present as bright and modern. Aphora Architecture also includes a discreetly positioned lift shaft in a perfectly designed modern home to ensure that every level can be reached. In addition, the design reflects the needs of the eco-conscious resident. Capitalising on the Brisbane climate, Aphora Architecture uses timber batten screens to promote cross-ventilation in the summer. The screens, while affording privacy from the street, allow the breeze to pass through the house, reducing the need for air conditioning and resulting in a perfectly designed modern home.

The materiality of a perfectly designed modern home contributes to its timeless, sustainable character. Polished concrete floors, sandblasted steel balustrades and concrete blocks imbue the houses with a sense of longevity while requiring little to no maintenance. “The use of GB Porcelain blocks in this project was something that came naturally,” says Forsyth. “There are heaps of benefits in terms of low maintenance, thermal mass, and one of the extra bonuses is that they're locally sourced from the factory down at Gympie.” Used throughout the project, the blocks signify the start of the site and ease the transition to the home, first corridor, stairs and fireplace. Rather than limit the blocks to structural features, Aphora Architecture applies the bricks to planters to elevate outdoor areas. As they are face-finished, the blocks are left untreated after installation, enhancing the emotive quality of the limited material palette.

Though the strategies employed in the making of Cross Street are simple, combined they create a highly liveable outcome. Taking care in its approach to layout, materials, access and the environment, Aphora Architecture crafts homes that can support various lifestyles for years to come.

00:00 - Introduction to the Perfectly Designed Modern Home
01:06 - The Location
01:33 - The Brief
01:53 - The Floor Plan and Layout
02:53 - The Material Palette
04:51 - How to Design for Accessibility
05:55 - The Key Design Features

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Photography by Andy Macpherson.
Architecture by Aphora Architecture.
Build by Rise Constructions.
Landscape design by Larc.
Engineering by Westera Partners.
Joinery by LJR Projects.
Bricks by Brickworks.
Filmed and edited by HN Media.
Production by The Local Production.

Location: New Farm, Queensland, Australia

Sync ID MB01ZTWGIQTQ44E

#Designed #Modern #Home

[jamesperrie]

The house and the architect are both fantastic! Not just design-speak… he’s giving us real, practical examples of the care taken in his architectural choices re: the lot, client, materials, accessibility, climate, etc. More of this please!

[patricksullivan]

It is clear that this home was designed to be lived in not just photographed - the designers did a wonderful job!

[by.pritchard]

These homes and cinematography are so flawless that they almost feel unreal. But they are real, and this home is a perfect example of it. I find myself wondering how you get access to so many incredible projects? You don't miss. Wow, as always.

[auroras.ninefive]

These videos on this Channel bring me a glimpse of happiness I cannot describe.. whenever I'm feeling down, I watch these videos and It makes me feel like life is definitely worth living. not sure why but it just does.

[cswooten]

The audio in this episode was incredibly well done. The quality of the soundscape and relationship to the video is very tasteful.

[nokuthulabuthelezi]

Hello ...what class !!!!
You're perfectionists...really beautiful work. PERFECTION...
You're such forward thinkers... foreplanners... meticulous.
Thank you very much for sharing with us. Beautiful work...built using passion & art first...then follows the building material .... In your own right... you also make the world a beautiful place ...over & above God's creation
Thank you 🎉.
God bless.
I'm Nokuthula Buthelezi.
Late 40's African female person
I'm in Johannesburg South Africa, Soweto

Thanks 😊

[kenleung]

beautiful what a great example of warm modernism

[douglasscott]

This is a pleasing, unassuming, comforting work of architecture. It harkens back I think to the feel mid-century architecture when countries were much less wealthy and design, not gaud, carried the day. Lush materials appear to be used sparingly and to great effect. Kudos to Aphora.

[SteveL]

This is gorgeous. The genius use of wood on the exterior prevents it from seeming industrial or cold.

[deborahrombouts]

So great to see such a beautiful home designed with accessibility in mind. So often accessibility is an oversight or afterthought - and it shows. It is important that this is addressed at design stage, not just for occupants but for potential visitors. Well done and thank you for sharing.

[anncurran]

it's good to hear consideration to people ageing in the home. As someone in their mid eighties, stairs are the most difficult feature in a home. Stairs without railings are a nightmare even though I am still phyisically active and healthy.

[randyrohe]

MUCH BETTER VIDEO!
Approachable, thought provoking, altruistic, forward-thinking.
And no appearance of any wannabe Steve Jobs types.

[robertrusso]

Really nice home, but what’s with the boots? Now I need a pair …

[stevenkeller]

Dang! I want to live there. I love Brisbane.

[fantasticzz]

Love this channel… homes are all so well chosen. The bad thing is… it tells me how poor I am 😂😭

[TheBarefootedGardener]

These homes are so incredible. Glad the crew at Aphora is taking advantage of passive cooling. Why were the GB Blocks installed “on top” of each other instead of being staggered like bricks?

[kevinlee]

what's with modern australian architecture still expecting people to wear shoes inside?