On other exposed walls, particularly those inside the home, a smooth off-form finish has been used – albeit with the board lines and bolt holes clearly and deliberately expressed.
The standard grey concrete floors have been honed to expose the aggregate, a locally sourced river pebble. This exposed aggregate gives the floors a real ‘warmth’ and ties in nicely with the locally sourced stone used to clad the chimney.
Booth says the thermal mass of the concrete structural elements - combined with passive design features like the wider eaves - helps maintain a fairly constant internal temperature through summer and winter.
But in terms of sustainability outcomes, the benefit of using a durable material like concrete is that it ensures Las Palmas will stand the test of time.
And tide, for that matter. Las Palmas backs on to the Noosa River, and although it’s built well above the tidal flood level, should the worst ever happen, any damage would be largely superficial.
“It’s a pretty resilient house because there’s almost zero plasterboard on the ground floors. If it flooded it would be a case of replacing cabinetry and some carpet in the sunken living area, and that would be about it,” Booth says.
In fact, the overarching simplicity of the design and its concrete structural solution means superficial elements like cabinetry and fittings can be changed in the future to give the home a refresh, without the need for significant structural modifications that might otherwise compromise the integrity of the original architectural vision.
That’s one of the things that makes Las Palmas so special. It’s a house that can adapt over time without ever losing touch with its roots.
Benefits of using concrete:
- Strength and durability
- Aesthetics
- Sustainability
- Flood resilience