Coombes House, Torquay residence design, Modern Victoria real estate, Australian architecture photos

Coombes House in Torquay, Victoria

11 September 2025

Design: Lachlan Shepherd Architects

Location: Torquay, Surf Coast Shire, Victoria, Australia

Photos: Nic Stephens Photography

Coombes House in Torquay, Surf Coast Shire, Victoria, Australia

Coombes House is an example of contemporary brutalism founded on a highly personal brief. The clients required a home that would be at once simple, durable, and deeply responsive to their lifestyle.

One of the owners who is legally blind, sought a pared-back environment free from clutter, where tactile materials and straightforward forms could create calm and clarity.

The simplicity of the palette and monochromatic architectural language aims to provide respite for the owner, who struggles to focus visually when bombarded with the colours of day to day life.

The result is a single-level dwelling sculpted almost entirely from raw, hand-poured concrete. Floors, walls, benches, even the bathtub are monolithic yet refined, their honesty of material giving the home both permanence and serenity.

Expansive glazing punctuates the heavy forms, drawing in light and connecting interior spaces to the native landscape.

Despite its austere palette, the house feels warm and livable for the occupants. Extensive north-facing double glazing and underfloor heating offsets the coolness of concrete, while thoughtful touches—a floating concrete bed, a skateboardable hallway, and a suspended fireplace—infuse personality.

The architectural intent is to celebrate restraint: to create a sensory refuge that strips living back to essentials, while remaining bold, sculptural, and unapologetically modern.