Handmade Petersen Kolumba™ bricks deliver an organic textural tapestry at The Bay

The Bay's beautifully cohesive facade of handmade Petersen Kolumba bricks

Renowned for delivering high quality bespoke homes that are well-resolved and one of a kind, MAEK has more than delivered on The Bay. This development is particularly special: Located in Perth’s Mosman Bay, its four two-storey residences sit side by side enjoying uninterrupted views of the Swan River and the riverside landscapes beyond.

It’s a luxurious setting for waterfront living, and when you’re standing in the kitchen it feels like you’re right at the water’s edge, easily forgetting there’s a road between you and the river.

MAEK’s uncompromising commitment to detail is evident in every space, beginning with the façade, which complements its surrounds with a carefully curated palette of organic, yet striking materiality, a signature of MAEK designs.

Handmade Petersen Kolumba™ bricks are the hero of the palette, their pale grey tones, handmade quality and slim profile creating an appearance much like woven linen.

Handmade Petersen Kolumba bricks add an organic and textural feel to the external form

“The Petersen brickwork was the inspiration for the architectural façade, creating an organic and textural feel to the external form. We’d been eyeing Petersen bricks for a long time and have always admired the beautiful handmade look and feel, so had been hoping to use them for a while. When this development came up it was the perfect opportunity to incorporate them into our design, which was incredibly exciting,” says Kathryn Sims, Creative Director, MAEK.

The natural materiality of masonry and stone is balanced against hints of industrialism in the metal and steel

The addition of natural stone in small cobbles and larger pavers outside pairs well with the natural materiality of the brickwork, while bronze metal and black steel accents balance the organic materiality with hints of industrialism.

The external materiality flows from one home to the next creating a sense of cohesion, yet subtle differences in its use produces a distinct character for each home. While the corner block applies full brick to the street elevation, metal standing seam cladding is used on the upper rear façade. In contrast, its neighbour uses metal cladding on the ground floor and Petersen Kolumba™ bricks on the upper storey. And, not surprisingly, when the owners of the fourth home saw the Petersen Kolumba™ bricks, they asked to change their street elevation from timber and render, as initially designed, to full brick:

The owners of home No.4 loved the handmade Kolumba bricks & requested a full brick elevation

"That owner said to us, ‘no, we love the Petersen bricks, we want our whole façade to be brick’ … I just love their handmade quality, craftsmanship, organic nature and the fact that you can see thumbprints on them. They really are the hero, sitting proudly on the façade. And when you catch the whole façade in the sunlight, it looks just like a dappled organic tapestry,” reflects Kathryn. 

The palette continues inside the homes in varying combinations; its largely organic nature creating a pronounced sense of functional luxury, tranquillity and comfort. Natural stones and timber feature heavily, as do porcelain and engineered finishes for a maintenance-free addition to the palette. Bronze metallic accents balance the organic materials, used extensively throughout each home, from the window frame finishes to the cabinetry detailing and light fittings.

Bringing the outdoors in, taking advantage of the sweeping bay views

Every home has a functional, beautiful design maximising space and light, focusing on bringing the outdoors in to make use of the incredible location. Each one began as three-bedroom, three-bathroom layouts, with two living areas and a study, as well as a balcony and a courtyard, either to the centre or side. Of course, floorplans and layouts were changed to suit each owner’s lifestyle, resulting in a luxury home that will be fit-for-purpose for many years to come.

With The Bay’s carefully curated palette of organic, textured materiality, and meticulously designed interiors, each home sold within two weeks of release, even before the build commenced; a record for a MAEK development. This beautiful development is testament to MAEK’s skill and uncompromising commitment to detail, reinforcing its reputation for more than delivering on the execution, handing over high quality, bespoke homes that truly are one of a kind.

Design & Build:   MAEK

Product:                       Handmade Petersen Kolumba™ bricks, K91

Landscape:                   Tristan Peirce Landscape Architecture

Photography:               Jack Lovell