Working out of his own eponymous studio, award-winning Brisbane-based architect Shaun Lockyer crafts luxury residences according to his signature Brazil-inspired modernist style. Focusing on sustainable and efficient design, his work draws on a connection to the natural landscape.
Here, Lockyer talks about embracing integrated outdoor living spaces, creating art gallery-style homes and designing concealed meditation retreats.
How do you define good design?
Good design is functional, timeless and contextually responsive. It enhances the way people interact with a space, balancing aesthetics with purpose. In architecture, it means creating environments that respond to climate and lifestyle, while remaining enduring and aesthetically considered.
What’s on your mood board at the moment?
Currently, my mood board includes homes that embrace the coastal lifestyle with raw, resilient materials like board-form concrete, weathered timber and natural stone, designed to withstand salt, wind, and humidity while aging beautifully. Earthy, muted tones are big – a palette inspired by nature. Warm sand, soft clay, deep olive, smoky charcoal and sun-bleached neutrals that create a calming and grounded atmosphere.
Sheltered outdoor living is another thing, with integrated courtyards, covered terraces and timber screens that provide protection from the elements while enhancing natural airflow and shade.
Outdoor rooms are growing more popular. Photo: Christopher Frederick Jones
I’d love to see the return of breezeblocks in contemporary homes. They add texture, allow for passive cooling and create beautiful shadow play, perfect for the Australian climate.
What do you expect to see more of this year in luxury home design?
Wellness-focused spaces such as spa-like bathrooms, infrared saunas, cold plunges, recovery zones (complete with light therapy and hyperbaric therapy) and meditation rooms. We’ll also see more homes designed to feel like private art galleries, integrating rotating displays and commissioned artworks.
Any Australian labels or creatives on your radar?
I’ve got my eye on Sydney-based architecture firm Durbach Block Jaggers as well as John Wardle’s Wardle Studio and Andrew Burges Architects.
Large format windows create space and let in natural light. Photo: Christopher Frederick Jones
What have been some of your most unusual client requests?
An ensuite shower big enough for the client to lie down flat and shower while hungover. Another request was to have a water fountain outside each bedroom so the client could have cold water in the middle of the night without going to the kitchen. We’ve also installed night lights that a client can use to navigate to the toilet, so their circadian rhythm isn’t interrupted.
What are some memorable projects that have used your skills in an unexpected way?
Creating an art gallery-style residence, where lights and walls could be moved to accommodate different art collections, was an interesting one. We also designed a concealed meditation retreat accessed through a bookshelf that opened via a hidden mechanism. The room was soundproofed and designed with minimal distractions for mindfulness and relaxation.
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