Architect: Tobias Partners
Landscape: Myles Baldwin Design
Builder: Cumberland Building
Location: Bellevue Hill, NSW
Between 2016 and 2019, our structural team collaborated with Tobias Partners on a standout project — a high-end residence in Bellevue Hill. The site’s deep sand conditions posed unique engineering challenges, requiring innovative solutions to ensure the building’s stability.

The structure itself is predominantly concrete, with a basement slab supported by concrete piles to counteract the sandy ground. For most of the excavation, we used sand batters, but the southern boundary required a different approach. Space constraints led us to design a contiguous pile wall, ensuring stability without compromising the neighbouring properties.

One of the defining features of the project was the integration of greenery into the structure. A rooftop garden and a series of integrated planters on the first-floor suspended slab brought life to the design. The largest planter, approximately 5m x 5m, was designed to support mature trees, which required precise engineering to manage the additional loads without compromising the slab’s performance.

Our scope extended well beyond the primary structure. We worked on a range of custom elements that added functionality and refined details to the residence. These included the concrete swimming pool, masonry screens, and off-form concrete features like a barbecue bench and planter boxes. We also engineered custom steel gates, pool fencing, balustrades, and cantilevered off-form concrete pool steps. A key highlight was the intricate terrazzo internal staircase with open risers, which required a balance of aesthetic precision and structural soundness.
Every element we designed was carefully tailored to meet the residence’s architectural vision and functional needs. This project highlighted the importance of collaboration between engineering and architecture to deliver a home that is both technically robust and visually compelling.