Outgrowing their previous office, Matyas purchased an undeveloped block on Bay St, Brighton and designed and built a new four-storey building to house not only their practice, but a spacious light filled apartment, sensitively inserted into the high street of this beachside suburb. The project, protracted by the Covid lockdowns, evolved as they were pushed to make decisions on materiality and form onsite, streamlining and paring the design back to its simplest elements. The restrained palette is made up of a considered balance of small form blockwork, precast concrete, timber floorboards and light grained joinery (achieved with Elton Group’s timber look surface; Evenex Sincro in Deep Grain Oak).
An unostentatious entry leads up a flight of stairs to the first-floor office and again to the apartment. Curved forms abound—a signature sculptural approach externally as well as internally. Moving through the apartment is a surprising experience. Arriving into a double height, light filled and generous foyer, the Deep Grain Oak surface is the perfect tone and texture, extending from the living spaces, into the magnificent curves of the kitchen and again into the more intimate bedroom zones. Matyas have given very careful consideration to the joinery and detailing, cleverly elevating the role of Evenex throughout wall surfaces, bulkheads, kitchen and pantry cabinetry, bookshelves and bedroom joinery; a consistent soft, warm texture against the blockwork and stone complemented with light filled volumes and well selected furniture, achieving what John refers to as ‘quiet luxury’.
“It was important to us to create a space which was inviting, warm, cosy and friendly”—John Matyas
The spaces are calm and serene though the clever selection and detailing of materials. The consistency of material brings gravitas continuing from inside to out, with exposed blockwork brought to life with green walls and patio gardens.
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Design: Matyas Architects
Photography: Alex Reinders