Alexandra Buchanan Architecture

Rigel

Coorparoo, Brisbane

Rigel is a contemporary residence in Coorparoo, set on a steeply sloping site within Brisbane’s inner south. The house is positioned to engage expansive views towards Whytes Hill Reserve and the city skyline, while establishing a strong sense of containment and privacy within its landscape setting.

The architectural response is organised around a central vertical void that forms the spatial and conceptual core of the home. This volume establishes a point of orientation from which public and private zones are distributed, enabling clear spatial legibility and fluid internal circulation.

A softened material palette and restrained façade articulation allow the building to sit quietly within its elevated context, with emphasis placed on proportion, massing and environmental integration rather than overt expression.

At entry, a mature Bottle Tree anchors the approach, reinforcing the relationship between architecture and landscape. Internally and externally, the composition is oriented towards long-range views, with openings carefully positioned to frame both city and reserve outlooks while maintaining privacy at the edges of the site.

Retaining and terracing walls define the landscape strategy, establishing a series of level changes that structure outdoor space and support a layered relationship between built form and garden. Planting is integrated across these terraces, softening edges and reinforcing spatial depth across the site.

The result is a composed and materially restrained residence shaped by topography, outlook and enclosure—where spatial clarity and landscape integration define the architectural experience.

 

Project details

Framed by a mature new Bottle Tress, a soaring entry void is at the heart of the house and creates the space that both public & private spaces circulate around. Inside and outside spaces extend long views throughout to spectacular views. 

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