"My dream when I started my company 14 years ago was to one day get to a point where I could build a house that combines everything I've ever learnt and everything I'm passionate about - and that's Bunker House," he says.
Concrete provides both the structure and finish to the Bunker House. It's used for slabs and ceilings, off-form walls, benchtops, bathroom detailing, floating slab stairs - even a bench seat in the backyard.
Built on a sloping site, the home is substantial - seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms and a pool, spread over three levels. However, the judicious use of sympathetic material and natural finishes in tandem with concrete ensures it sits comfortably within its immediate environment.
In fact, the use of limestone classing juxtaposed with sections of cedar classing on the north-facing ground level creates the impression that the building is rising, almost organically, from the earth. (The timber classing is a nod to the cedar forests that once covered this part of the coast.)
The upper two levels of the home make extensive use of glazing, so even though concrete provides a visual and structural framework the overall appearance is one of lightness and balance.
The pool is cleverly incorporate into the top level, adjoining both the main living/kitchen areas and the backyard at the top (southerly) side of the sloping site.
Considerable cost savings were achieved by utilising the second-floor slab as the base of the pool (as opposed to excavating into the yard and eating into the precious green space). The pool also acts as another level of thermal insulation for the bedrooms below.
The mass of the concrete roof over the pool is substantially reduced by the clever insertion of four large voids. These voids create a lovely balance of shade and sunlight in the space below, while at the same time allowing lighter to filter into the internal living areas (including the lower levels of the house, via sections of glass flooring).