Twig House in Melbourne by Leeton Pointon & Allison Pye

Photo by Lisa Cohen.

Photo by Earl Carter.

Photo by Lisa Cohen.

Twig House by Leeton Pointon Architects + Interiors with Allison Pye Interiors, Photo Earl Carter | Yellowtrace

Photo by Earl Carter.

Twig House by Leeton Pointon Architects + Interiors with Allison Pye Interiors, Photo Lisa Cohen | Yellowtrace

Photo by Lisa Cohen.

After living in a 1980s house for thirty years, Twig House presents a fresh start for a couple who found their former home becoming too restrictive for their growing family. Designed by long time collaborators Leeton Pointon Architects and Allison Pye Interiors, this inner Melbourne residence is realised through intimate collaborations and various prototypes of concrete mixtures, resulting in an architectural sculpture that allows the grey material to display equal impressions of weight and weightlessness.

The clients, a visionary philanthropic couple, requested “immersive connection to the landscape in an introspective structure”. Twig House sits on a sloping site and is a three-storey residence made of two towers cementing the ends of a L-shaped plan. The towers house the bedrooms, while the central spaces are designed for entertainment and relaxation. Walls of each room are layered and concealed, offering a labyrinth for appreciative pauses. Similarly, the graceful twisting staircases offer a winding and unwinding experience.

Photo by Earl Carter.

Photo by Lisa Cohen.

It is only upon closer inspection of the curved or patterned walls that we could truly appreciate the rustic shades of grey. Trials of concrete impressions by Leeton Pointon, with Allison Pye and builder Len Bogatin from LBA Constructions are evident throughout – some parts of the wall are made of smoothened plaster; others are textured to resemble broad timber panels that runs parallel to the timber flooring or oak ceiling – a sense of lightness for the dense matter.

Twig House’s oxymoronic name originated from the thin eucalyptus twigs found on the external windows from the top floors, offering slivers of light to trickle inside. Different times of the day cast different ephemeral characteristics against the grey-toned surfaces and wooden ceilings. Adding to the theatrics are shadow textures illuminated from linen curtains, mimicking a wooden grain. With such pairing, sometimes I wonder if the designers have manipulated the brutalist’s favourite material to mimic timber as an act to disguise their love for it!

Photo by Lisa Cohen.

Photo by Earl Carter.

Despite the apparent expansiveness, interior designer Allison Pye grounds the floating reverie with candy-coloured moments. Among the classy timber and metal furniture, eyes are drawn to a blushing pink table centralised in the kitchen, otherwise the turquoise carpet in a living room. Artworks of Anne Ferran, Dale Frank and John Kelly \ anchor themselves against the unique backdrop. The architectural language is not glaringly evident, but they serve a great companion for other bespoke elements to come to life.

Rooms of the house are orientated to appreciate the seasonal plants landscaped by Taylor Cullity Lethlan. The landscape fully encapsulates the overall appreciation of the designer’s masterful carving of concrete. The trees and shrubs revealing the external tapered edges, and scalloped slate moments to reflect the fish-scaled roof shingles… the lush greenery is ready to embrace the eventual aging of the concrete. And soon in the many years ahead, Twig House may not be perceived as an architecture built from but instead spawn from the site.

Ugh, take my breath away with my newfound love for concrete!