Geminus One

The Brief & Vision

A quiet residential street located in the seaside town of Shearwater is where the story begins for this unique project. A simple yet complex brief of 'a work of art on the outside, but highly functional on the inside' was the starting point for designing the two distinctly separate pavilions soon to be coined the dark side and the bright side.

Our interstate clients had a bold vision — they wanted a home that would be genuinely unlike anything else in the street, in the town, or indeed anywhere in Tasmania. They didn't want different for the sake of it; they wanted a home that expressed their personalities and the way they wanted to live. The dual-pavilion concept emerged from early conversations about contrast — the idea that a home could contain within it two completely different architectural experiences, unified by a single design language.

Design & Construction Challenges

This design seemed to remain conceptual for a very long time, and there were a multitude of design/build decisions to be made as the building progressed. This required a high degree of collaboration and communication throughout the build process — not just between us and the clients, but within our own team, where every trade needed to understand the precision required.

The major challenge on this build was to set out and install all of the angled components of the bright side. Very careful attention was required to ensure the continuous raking ceiling spanning 18m was perfectly prepared to prevent plaster joins being highlighted by the massive gallery window. Every sheet of plasterboard, every stopping coat, every sand had to be executed with gallery-level precision because the light pouring through that window would reveal even the slightest imperfection.

The dark side pavilion presented its own challenges — creating a moody, intimate atmosphere through material selection and controlled light while maintaining the livability and warmth that a home demands. Deep, rich tones in the cladding and interior finishes create a sense of enclosure and protection, a deliberate counterpoint to the openness of the bright side.

Ultimately though, it is the precision of the angled aluminium sheeting across the garage that we are most satisfied with. The compound angles required to achieve those clean, sharp lines tested our entire team's skills, and the result is a piece of architectural metalwork that approaches sculpture.

Client Experience

In the words of our clients: "Collaboration — this really was one of the best collaborative processes I have been involved in — from the design, to the interior, to the build — every step of the way we were all involved and invested in our home. The quality of workmanship is incredible and I like that you have a team that does most of the construction. Everyone of your employees has a deep sense of care and that close enough isn't good enough. You were on time and on budget and we enjoyed the design and build process (remotely) as much as we do living in our home now."

Managing a build remotely — with clients based interstate — requires a level of trust and communication that goes beyond what most projects demand. Regular progress updates, detailed photography at each stage, and transparent decision-making ensured that our clients felt involved and informed throughout. The immense joy on their faces when they saw their completed home for the first time made every challenging detail worthwhile.

Recognition

Geminus One's bold design and exceptional build quality were recognised at both state and national levels.