Noir by Zephyr Industries - Brisbane, Australia

Set on a steep 18 metre site stretching from Prospect Terrace (top) to Gray Street (bottom) the bold but humble form of Noir cuts a silhouette of the Brisbane city skyline - through it’s blackened split triangular forms, realised with Protector - Nero on Vulcan timber.

Moving away from the traditional Hamilton urban fabric, Noir uses a dark and textured aesthetic of; Vulcan timber cladding with Protector - Nero, blackened off form concrete, metal sheeting, glass and vegetation, transitioning in form, materiality and programme as it terraces down the hill.

A programme of spaces has been derived vertically to create a variety of spatial connections to outside whether it be to the city and river views or to landscaping.

Cantilevered balcony slabs with timber clad soffits address the streetscape from below. Their angled shapes retract as the levels go up the site, mimicking the original fall of the topography.

Vulcan timber cladding is a thermally modified plantation timber, with extraordinary stability, no leaching, and long lengths. Protector - Nero was designed especially for Vulcan timber, to provide the longest possible life between maintenance cycles.

We say bravo to Zephyr Industries for breaking away from the mould, and creating a new typology.