Best of est | Concrete Homes

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Best of est | Brutalist Concrete Homes

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Architect Glenn Sestig’s Pavilion | Photography by Thomas De Bruyne

In this Best of est round-up, we reveal how four architects have harnessed the foundational material of concrete, and tapped into its inherently brutalist nature.

Architect Glenn Sestig’s Pavilion

Sint-Martens-Latem, Belgium

Ghent-based architect Glenn Sestig recalls the moment when architect Ivan Van Mossevelde first visited his home in Sint-Martens-Latem, Belgium. “He had tears in his eyes,” Sestig says, entrusted with restoring the concrete pavilion—one of Van Mossevelde’s earliest projects—alongside his partner Bernard Tournemenne, artist and creative director of Glenn Sestig Architects.

Sestig’s renovations took place over two years, but the architect was steadfast on not altering any of the concrete openings or the visual architecture. “Inside, we stripped everything—plasterwork, flooring, ceilings, plumbing, electricity—and rebuilt with today’s technical standards while always following the original design,” he says.

One of the few structural changes was the addition of a floating staircase in the patio, which deliberately avoids touching the original concrete, so “it can be removed without leaving any marks”. Resonating with the intuitive plan, Sestig reconfigured the three bedrooms into a primary suite and two private office spaces, but “designed it to be flexible, so it could easily be reverted”.

Architect Glenn Sestig’s Pavilion | Photography by Thomas De Bruyne

Norfolk Residence by Travis Walton

Bunurong and Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung Country / Melbourne, Australia

At first glance, Norfolk Residence’s exterior gives the impression of a simple concrete wall, carved into the site’s natural slope, while the upper pavilion floats among mature Norfolk pines. “The coastal setting was both muse and anchor,” director Travis Walton says. “Board-formed concrete bears the imprint of timber grain, a gesture that mirrors the textures of Moonah trees and weathered coastal rock.” The home does not sit apart from the environment but continues it, reconciling robustness with refinement through landscape and materiality.

Thoughtful attention was given to creating a commanding and memorable entrance. At its centre, a custom staircase in Made by Storey peppercorn timber twists upward, sculpted in board-marked concrete by Travis Walton and Agushi Construction. “The stair embodies Norfolk’s design philosophy,” Walton says. “Born of close collaboration between architect, builder and craftspeople, its delicate spiral form was achieved through precise drawings and meticulously built timber formwork.” Ascending “through the home like a pleated ribbon,” the stair captures both the raw nature of exposed concrete and the elegance of a sculptural, seemingly effortless form.

Norfolk Residence by Travis Walton | Photography by Sharyn Cairns

Argyle Well by Welsh + Major

Gadigal Country / Sydney, Australia

Built in the 1840s, the four-storey terrace house underwent several transformations, the most recent of which saw it converted into seven studio apartments. Intending to restore the house to its former glory as a single residence while incorporating a modern pavilion, the new owners enlisted Sydney-based architects Welsh + Major, led by Chris Major and David Welsh.

In designing the new rear pavilion, Welsh + Major sought to push the usual parameters of a reinvention project, creating a space that functions as both a sculpture and a sanctuary, deeply rooted in nature. “The pavilion is designed to ground you while fostering a strong connection with the garden. It strikes a balance between being protective and open,” Major says. The weighty concrete forms, draped with the overhanging leaves of the rooftop garden, create a striking contrast with the expansive garden and sky beyond.

Argyle Well by Welsh + Major | Photography by Anson Smart & Clinton Weaver

Mosman House by Nick Kent Design and Louise Walsh

Gadigal Country / Sydney, Australia

With an undulating concrete roof that references the ocean swell and framed views of Sydney Heads, Mosman House by Nick Kent Design and interior designer Louise Walsh can be equally defined by its bold architectural expression and attentive interior details. “From the upper floor, the building appears to float within the tree canopy,” interior designer Louise Walsh says. The east-facing expanse of glazing frames the treescape while connecting the interiors with the natural landscape, while the “lower floor sinks into the site to ground the home.”

“Both the architecture and interiors reflect the contrast of weightless elements with grounded, timeless materials,” Walsh reflects. “As you move through the home, the balance between the macro and micro sways,” she says. “In some instances, the interiors quietly allow the architectural volume to be the focus of the space, while in other spaces, it is shifted and the focus transitions.”