Salvaged Bricks Transform Mount Coot-tha House in Peter Besley’s Material Masterstroke.

Peter Besley doesn’t just design houses—he solves problems. His latest project, Birdwood, is perched on the ridge of Mount Coot-tha’s numerous spurs—a place traditionally known as “Place of Honey” to the Turrbal and Jagera people—emerging from Brisbane’s steep terrain like a series of sculptural objects.

The 2025 completion tackles materials reuse, multi-generational living, and the particular demands of subtropical architecture with characteristic intelligence.

Rather than imposing a singular architectural statement, Besley has designed Birdwood as independent volumes that reveal different spatial qualities as one moves between them. The most striking element is the large rear volume, wrapped in a tall reclaimed brick brise soleil that has been deliberately frayed and cut back to filter the intense Queensland sun. This isn’t mere architectural theatre though, but a practical response to climate that also tells a story about material provenance.

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The project’s material story came from a lucky break early in the design process. When a local brickworks ceased operations, Besley salvaged an extensive collection of brick and terracotta pieces, including unique refractory clay elements and ceramics originally used in metallurgy. These industrial remnants have been woven throughout the house composition as external walls, columns, tiling, and paving.

But the sustainability thinking goes much deeper—solar panels, rainwater tanks, recycled hardwood ceilings, and the deliberate avoidance of plastics, paint, and unnecessary finishes all work together with the high thermal mass construction. A small cylindrical pool rises from the terrain like a sculptural element, providing essential relief from subtropical heat while maintaining the architectural language of independent objects.

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Photography by Rory Gardiner.

Perhaps the most compelling space is the main room, where a library formed entirely of joinery suspends from the roof structure, housing the client’s extensive history book collection. Above, a ziggurat-like roof filters sunlight, creating an environment that balances intimate study with expansive views across Brisbane’s landscape. The ground floor remains level throughout, with a simple lift and accessible facilities supporting older and less able family members.

Birdwood gets the balance right—ambition with restraint, material stories that feel genuine rather than forced, spatial variety that doesn’t fragment the experience. This is subtropical architecture done really bloody well. Respect.

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[Images courtesy of Peter Besley. Photography by Rory Gardiner.]