Bondi Breeze

Nestled in the heart of Bondi, Bondi Breeze is one of five semi-detached homes within a designated draft urban conservation area. With a generous footprint measuring 30 metres in length and seven metres in width, and enjoying northern orientation to the rear, the home was thoughtfully reimagined by architects Panov–Scott. Their design approach focused on reducing the house size to establish a verdant breezeblock screened garden, along the length of the living and bedroom spaces, blurring the boundaries between indoors and out.

Shortlisted for the 2025 HOUSES Awards in the House Alteration and Addition under 200 square metres category, this project seeks to elevate the experience of everyday life, not through whimsy, but rather through architecture that resonates with the enduring rhythms of ancient traditions. In doing so, it offers a sense of joy and calm, acting as a thoughtful counterpoint to the pressures of contemporary living.

“This screened garden serves as a hybrid courtyard that fosters biophilia while integrating energy generation, water infiltration, and passive ventilation and heating, revitalising what was once an overlooked urban building.”

Austral Masonry Grey Blocks NQ in Smooth Grey take centre stage in this striking breezeblock screen. Through innovative construction techniques and smart structural solutions, a traditionally compressive material is ingeniously made to act in tension. 8mm-thick galvanised steel wind columns are concealed within every second perpend, seamlessly integrated to form a composite system. Here, the masonry blocks work in tandem with the concealed steel to resist bending moments, enabling a continuous, uninterrupted pattern. The result is a visually captivating screen where the solidity of concrete dissolves into a delicate lattice of light and shadow.

This screened garden serves as a hybrid courtyard that fosters biophilia while integrating energy generation, water infiltration, and passive ventilation and heating, revitalising what was once an overlooked urban building. A sanctuary of harmonious cohabitation, Panov–Scott creates a setting not just for people, but for “ferns and vines, bees and birds”.