- Project: Sjøhavn House
- Architect: Lightbody Architects
- Location: Australia, Noosa Heads, Queensland
- Year: 2023
- Area: 483 m2
- Photography: Brock Beazley
Sea Gardens: A Dialogue Between Architecture and Landscape
Named “Sjøhavn,” meaning Sea Gardens in Norwegian, this striking riverfront residence by Lightbody Architects draws inspiration from both Scandinavian simplicity and Queensland’s coastal vernacular.
Located along the serene Noosa River, the house was conceived as a refined, climate-responsive family home that balances openness with privacy, formality with intimacy, and permanence with the fluidity of its natural surroundings.
The project’s foundation lies in its sensitivity to flood-prone conditions and its ambition to create architecture that works with the landscape rather than against it.
Design Concept: The Power of the In-Between
The design interprets each functional space as a simple, sculpted volume, yet the true architectural poetry unfolds in the interstitial spaces — the thresholds, overlaps, and voids that connect and separate living zones.
This approach transforms the plan into a sequence of layered experiences:
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Primary volumes define the home’s structure and flow.
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Overlapping zones form intimate retreats, quiet nooks, and visual corridors.
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Interstitial spaces create moments of pause, fostering calm and reflection.
These “in-between” spaces are not residual — they are central to the spatial experience, encouraging movement, connection, and contemplation throughout the house.
Materiality: Minimalism with Substance
A restrained palette reinforces the home’s serene atmosphere. The use of off-form concrete provides both visual and thermal solidity, embodying endurance, resilience, and a timeless aesthetic.
This material also allowed for expressive structural gestures — cantilevers, long spans, and suspended planters — that dissolve the boundary between architecture and garden.
Overhead, cascading greenery softens the concrete façade, creating a living envelope that blurs the lines between built form and nature.
Inside, warm timber accents and natural light bring balance to the tactile rawness of the concrete, cultivating an atmosphere that is both grounded and tranquil.
Spatial Flow and Connection to the River
At the heart of Sjøhavn House lies a double-height central void, anchoring the home both physically and experientially.
This dramatic vertical space connects the two floors visually while maintaining a clear horizontal relationship with the river beyond.
The gesture extends to a primary outdoor living terrace, shaded by the upper-level cantilever and framed by smaller, more intimate spaces on either side — perfect for retreat, reflection, and solitude.
To the east, the house engages the river through a reinterpretation of the Queenslander-style verandah, transforming what is typically a transitional space into a destination for living and connection.
Passive Design and Climate Responsiveness
Beyond its sculptural form, Sjøhavn House performs intelligently.
The building’s massing and orientation harness passive design principles, maximizing natural ventilation, shading, and thermal efficiency.
The thermal mass of concrete stabilizes internal temperatures, absorbing and releasing heat to maintain comfort throughout day and night.
This integration of material intelligence and environmental awareness ensures that the home operates harmoniously within its subtropical setting.
A Poetic Balance of Strength and Softness
Sjøhavn House exemplifies Lightbody Architects’ mastery of restraint and precision.
Through its interplay of light, structure, and landscape, the project achieves a quiet strength — a home that feels grounded, enduring, and deeply attuned to its riverside environment.
It is architecture that celebrates the spaces between, crafting beauty not through ornament, but through proportion, materiality, and the choreography of everyday life.
