Architecture, Interiors, Model Making & Furniture Design
Framing Light, Landscape and Life
Residential architecture | Concept design | Three-dimensional studies | Physical model making | Revit visualisation
The Arch House is conceived as a contemporary Queensland home where architecture becomes a framework for light, landscape, connection and everyday living. The design explores the relationship between solid and void, enclosure and openness, interior and exterior — large openings, circular skylights, courtyards and generous outdoor rooms composed to bring natural light and greenery deep into the home.
At the centre of the architectural language is a dialogue between the circle and the arch. The dramatic circular cut-out within the upper balcony deck becomes the hero of the design, creating a powerful visual connection between the upper and lower levels. Beside it, the arched entry forms a distinctive threshold into the open-plan living spaces. At ground level, three circular skylights continue this language along the link corridor, bringing daylight into the centre of the house.
The Arch House is organised around a simple architectural idea: to use openings and voids to connect people, spaces, levels and landscape.
These forms are not applied simply as decorative gestures. They are embedded within the organisation of the house and perform specific spatial functions.
The circle establishes vertical connection; the arch establishes horizontal connection; and the skylights bring light into the journey between them.
This recurring language gives the house a distinctive identity while allowing the architecture to remain open, functional and responsive to the Queensland climate.
One of the defining gestures of The Arch House is the large circular cut-out within the upper-level balcony deck. Rather than treating the balcony simply as an external platform, a circular void is carved through the deck floor, creating a dramatic visual connection between the upper outdoor living space and the ground level below.
From the upper balcony, the circular opening provides a view down towards the level below. From the ground floor, it creates a view upwards towards the sky, balcony and light. The circular void therefore becomes more than an opening. It becomes a moment of architectural theatre, drawing attention to the relationship between the levels and creating a memorable focal point within the house.
The large cantilevered balcony extends boldly beyond the lower roof, creating a strong contrast between the upper and lower architectural planes. Against this powerful horizontal form, the circular cut-out introduces a contrasting geometry, balancing structure with softness and mass with void.
Positioned alongside the circular balcony opening, the arched entry forms the principal threshold into the upper-level living environment. The curved opening introduces a softer, more sculptural element against the strong geometry of the cantilever, balcony and circular void.
Passing through the arch leads directly into the open-plan living, dining and kitchen area, where the interior expands towards the surrounding decks and landscape. The arch therefore becomes more than an entrance. It creates a moment of transition — from arrival into the heart of the home, from threshold into openness.
The relationship between the arch and circular opening creates a deliberate interplay of solid and void, curve and plane, enclosure and openness.
The Arch House is arranged over two levels, with each level providing a distinct but connected living experience.
The upper level is conceived as the principal social and family environment. Living, dining and kitchen spaces are arranged as an open-plan composition and connected directly to multiple generous outdoor living areas.
The ground level is organised around a continuous link corridor running through the length of the house. Rather than functioning merely as circulation, this corridor becomes an architectural spine connecting the various functional areas of the home. It provides access to the guest quarters, an independent living and kitchen area, bedrooms, teenage retreats and amenities, allowing different members of the household and guests to enjoy both connection and independence.
Three circular skylights are positioned along the ground-level link corridor, continuing the circular language established by the upper balcony opening. These skylights puncture the roof plane and draw natural light into the centre of the house, transforming what could otherwise be a conventional circulation space into a sequence of light-filled moments.
As occupants move along the corridor, the changing daylight creates a subtle rhythm of light and shadow. The skylights also provide moments of visual connection with the sky, reinforcing the idea that the landscape and natural environment are not confined to the perimeter of the building. The corridor becomes an architectural journey through light.
Natural light and greenery are fundamental to the experience of The Arch House. Large openings, skylights, courtyards and terraces are positioned to allow sunlight to penetrate deeply into the interior while directing views towards the surrounding landscape. The design seeks to maintain a visual connection with greenery from almost every major interior space.
Rather than placing the garden simply outside the building, the architecture frames and incorporates the landscape into everyday life. Courtyards and planted outdoor rooms become extensions of the interior, while large openings provide constantly changing views of vegetation, sky and light. The landscape is not simply something to look at; it becomes part of the experience of living in the house.
The open-plan upper level is designed around the distinctive experience of living in Queensland. Large bi-fold and sliding doors allow the living, dining and kitchen spaces to open generously onto the surrounding decks and outdoor rooms.
When open, the boundaries between inside and outside become deliberately blurred, allowing family life, entertaining and outdoor activities to flow naturally between the spaces. When weather conditions change, the high-level bi-folds and sliding doors can be closed to provide protection from rain, wind and storms, allowing the house to remain comfortable and functional throughout the year.
Open the doors when the weather invites it. Close them when the storm arrives. Keep the landscape in view either way.
The upper level opened to the decksRevit visualisation.
Multiple decks surround the upper level, providing a variety of outdoor environments for different activities. Rather than relying on a single outdoor terrace, the arrangement creates a series of interconnected spaces that can accommodate quiet family moments, informal gatherings and larger social occasions.
The generous decks become an extension of the open-plan living spaces and provide an ideal setting for entertaining, parties and gatherings. The circular cut-out within the main balcony adds a distinctive architectural focus, turning the outdoor area into more than a conventional deck — it becomes an integral part of the architectural composition.
The physical model provides another way of understanding the spatial organisation of The Arch House. With the roof plane removed, the open planning becomes immediately legible. The model reveals the link corridor running the length of the ground level, the three circular skylights puncturing the corridor, and the sequence of courtyards, terraces and outdoor rooms opening towards one another.
It also reveals the relationship between the two levels — the more private and independently organised ground floor and the open, social living environment above.
The model allows the circular balcony cut-out to be understood as a genuine spatial void rather than simply a feature viewed in elevation. Its relationship to the lower level, upper balcony and surrounding spaces becomes particularly apparent when the house is viewed as a three-dimensional object.
The roof lifted awayThe circulation spine, the three skylights and the courtyards read at once.
The model from the sideThe roof plane held clear of the upper level, with the balcony and pool terrace at one end and the glazed pavilion at the other.
Physical models have always been an important part of architectural design because they provide a tangible bridge between imagination and reality. A model allows proportion, scale, balance, rhythm, hierarchy, structure and spatial relationships to be understood simultaneously.
For The Arch House, the physical model is particularly useful because the design depends upon the complex relationship between levels, voids, skylights, cantilevers, courtyards and outdoor spaces. Removing the roof reveals the architecture within: the circulation spine, the circular skylights, the interconnected spaces and the relationship between interior and exterior.
The model therefore becomes more than a presentation device. It is a tool for thinking, testing and communicating architectural ideas.
The Arch House brings together a series of carefully considered architectural gestures: the circular balcony cut-out, the three circular skylights, the arched entry, the cantilevered upper level, the open-plan living spaces, the courtyards, terraces and surrounding greenery. Each element has a functional and spatial role while contributing to a unified architectural language.
The architecture is designed to reveal itself through movement.
The result is a home that seeks to balance openness with shelter, connection with privacy, and architectural expression with everyday functionality. At its heart, The Arch House is about creating a home where light, landscape and life are continuously connected.
Framing Light, Landscape and Life
A home shaped by the relationship between circle, arch and void — where skylights bring light into the journey, the circular balcony opening connects the levels, and the arched entry leads into a living environment that opens towards the landscape.
For enquiries, please contact lee.anchor@optusnet.com.au.