Australian architect Peter Besley has completed an innovative multi-generational home in Brisbane that showcases creative use of perforated brickwork and metal mesh screens. The residence, named Birdwood, sits on a sloping site at the base of Mount Coot-tha and was specifically designed to accommodate aging-in-place living for an extended family. The challenging terrain and unique requirements led Besley to create a distinctive design featuring separate volumes wrapped in reclaimed terracotta brick and climbing plant supports.
The steep mountainside location presented significant design challenges that Besley addressed through careful sectional planning and a complex layout. "The house is like a string of objects and volumes, with its blurred indoor/outdoor nature allowing the subtropical landscape to be enjoyed," Besley explained. "The site is steep - on the slopes of a mountain - and to achieve the aims of aging-in-place and multigenerational living I had to carefully work the sections in what is a complex plan." The architect emphasized that the separation of volumes allows different activities to occur throughout the home while maintaining overall compositional unity.
The street-facing portion of the home contains the bedrooms within a simple white volume featuring a largely blank exterior. This section is wrapped by a metal mesh screen designed to gradually become overgrown with climbing plants, creating a living facade. Tall, narrow openings in this block are protected by sliding wooden shutters, which are mirrored by sliding doors that open onto an external paved walkway connecting to the main living areas.
In contrast to the more private bedroom block, the rear volume opens dramatically to the surrounding landscape through a sophisticated double-skin exterior system. This innovative design features an inner layer of glazing protected by an outer layer of perforated brickwork. Both the perforated brick elements and areas of external tiling and paving incorporate salvaged materials from a closed local brickworks, demonstrating Besley's commitment to sustainable design practices and local material sourcing.
The main living spaces occupy a generous ground floor area that includes living, dining, and kitchen functions. Large timber-framed glass doors slide open to connect these spaces with a paved garden area that terminates at a distinctive small, deep plunge pool. Above the main living area, a more secluded sitting and play area is positioned adjacent to a suspended timber library mezzanine that appears to float above the space below. Natural light floods this upper level through a striking ziggurat-shaped skylight.
Besley describes the experiential quality of moving through the home as particularly rewarding. "This is lovely, experiential work: at one moment you are slightly in the earth, then you're floating just above, then, before you know it, you're really high and soaring," he noted. "To sit up there in the suspended library with a book and long views to the city and landscape is really special. But I also love the little pond-like pool. It's tall and deep. When it gets really hot you can sink down to the bottom like a stone where it's cold."
The interior design continues the material theme established on the exterior, with extensive use of timber throughout the various spaces. The wood elements provide warmth and continuity while complementing the recycled brick and metal mesh systems used on the building's exterior. This material palette creates a cohesive design language that unifies the separate volumes while allowing each space to maintain its distinct character and function.
The Birdwood residence represents part of a broader trend of innovative residential architecture emerging from Brisbane. Recent projects in the area include renovations by Australian studio Zuzana & Nicholas, who converted a former worker's cottage into their combined home and studio, and updates by local firm John Ellway, which enhanced a Brisbane cottage with a series of small integrated gardens. These projects collectively demonstrate the city's growing reputation as a center for creative residential design that responds thoughtfully to Australia's subtropical climate and landscape conditions.
