Australian studio Dean Dyson Architects has used an outer layer of perforated brickwork to create a sense of privacy and calm at this home in Melbourne, which turns inwards to overlook a central swimming pool.
Named Cloud House, the five-bedroom home in the suburb of Malvern, occupies a long, narrow site that is surrounded by neighbouring properties.
The overlooked nature of the site informed the approach of creating a "private oasis", with the home wrapped in grey, perforated brickwork and divided by a series of voids and gardens that provide views out while maintaining privacy.
"We fused together a combination of design techniques to create a private world for our clients," Dean Dyson Architects founder Dean Dyson told Dezeen.
"The strategic placement of physical barriers and use of internal gardens help create a sense of privacy within the home," he continued.
"Adopting to wrap the whole first floor in the solid brickwork prevents direct sight lines from surrounding buildings and public areas to private bedroom & bathroom spaces."
Split across two levels, the ground floor of the home contains an open living, dining and kitchen area alongside a music room, guest bedroom and swimming pool.
Above, the first floor is designed to be more private, containing three bedrooms at the rear of the home and the main bedroom at the front, separated to create a "private, parents-only sanctuary."
Behind the outer skin of perforated brickwork, sliding glass windows can be opened to provide ventilation to this upper level.
Voids between the two floors crossed by small bridges help to provide natural light as well as visual connections through the interiors, framing views over the central courtyard.
"We wanted the home to have a wonderful sense of connection across multiple levels with moments of pause that allowed the homeowners areas of visual engagement and connection," explained Dyson.
"We used the voids as natural markers to define the moments of spatial transition as you flow down through the home."
A simple, largely monochrome palette defines the interior of Cloud House, including a four-metre-long Camogli marble bench in the kitchen and exposed grey brickwork in the central corridor, with wood panelling used to bring a warmer feel to the bedrooms.
"Our clients live a very minimal lifestyle – we wanted to replicate this feeling of simplicity, ease, earthiness and minimalism in their home," said Dyson.
Other recently featured homes in Melbourne that opted for a feeling of privacy include The Courtyard Residence by FGR Architects, which is surrounded by high concrete walls that create labyrinthine paths and pockets of greenery.
The photography is by Timothy Kaye.