Poetic Modernism: Designing With Resonance on the Northern Beaches
In our previous post, we explored the case for ambitious residential architecture in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Now, we want to go deeper into the design philosophy that guides our work at buck&simple: a style we call Poetic Modernism.
This is more than a visual approach. It’s a way of thinking about space, experience, and how architecture can emotionally resonate with the people who live in it. At its heart, Poetic Modernism is about simplicity, utility, and how these two qualities serve to deepen our human connection to space.
What Is Poetic Modernism?
Poetic Modernism in architecture is a contemporary evolution of modernism that seeks to balance utility with emotional depth. It draws from modernist principles—clean lines, rational planning, and honest materiality—but overlays them with atmosphere, nuance, and soul. It moves beyond the purely functional to deliver architecture that stirs, that connects, that inspires.
Where early modernism often prized minimalism for its own sake, Poetic Modernism asks more of architecture: to move people, to engage the senses, and to create moments of stillness, rhythm, or awe.
At buck&simple, we refer to these layered, uplifting touches as the “buck&simple stuff”. They’re not flourishes for the sake of style, but purposeful insertions of spatial magic—an unexpected shaft of light, a moment of compression before expansion, a rich, tactile surface that invites touch.
A Design Ethos Shaped by Many Masters
As a practice, we’re a product of our time: deeply informed by the knowledge of those who came before, yet unbound by strict lineage. Like bowerbirds, we selectively borrow from a wide set of architectural influences to shape our own expression.
Our work is shaped by the spirit of great architects (to name, but a few) such as :
- Peter Zumthor, with a commitment to slowness, sensuality, and timelessness;
- Louis Kahn, who treated structure and shadow as spiritual elements;
- Marcio Kogan minimal aesthetic and deep connection to nature;
- Tadao Ando, whose deceptive simplicity and control of light define emotionally rich spaces;
- Carlo Scarpa, with attention to detail, and an ability to create spaces that resonate with human emotion;
- Vincent Van Duysen, a refined, minimalist aesthetic with a focus on timelessness, functionality, and the use of natural materials.
Their legacy reminds us that architecture can be quiet, yet powerful. It can be rigorous, yet poetic.
The Five Tenets of Poetic Modernism at buck&simple
We approach every project—beach houses, regional estates, coastal pavilions—through five key tenets:
1. Emphasis on Light and Space
Light is not just illumination. It is a material in itself. We use it to shape emotion and guide experience.
2. Artistic Expression
We allow for abstraction and asymmetry when it serves beauty. We seek the ambitious. A wall doesn’t have to be perpendicular if a diagonal can say more. A ceiling can tilt, fold, or float to alter perception.
3. Materiality
Materials are chosen for their resonance—how they age, reflect light, feel underfoot. Timber, stone, and raw concrete ground our projects with honesty and presence.
4. Integration with Nature
Our architecture grows from its site. Whether it’s the dappled light of a eucalyptus canopy or the relentless horizon of the Pacific, our homes respond to landscape & climate, not resist it.
5. Focus on Human Experience
Every decision considers the lived experience. We ask: how does it feel to move through this space? To pause here? To wake in this room?
The Elements That Define the Style
Human-Centric Design
Function is important. But experience is paramount. We prioritise how a space feels—the silence of a retreat, the openness of a gathering space, the intimacy of a corner.
Rhythm and Cadence
We use repetition and subtle variation to create flow—whether in the alignment of structural beams or the sequence of thresholds.
Interplay with the Environment
Each of our homes is a response—to wind, sun, slope, views. We don’t impose architecture on a site; we draw it out from the land.
The Unexpected
Moments of surprise matter: a pocket of sky framed above a stairwell, a darkened hallway leading to a sunlit room. These are not tricks, but revelations.
Emotional Resonance
We design for connection: to place, to self, to others. The best spaces aren’t just beautiful—they are meaningful.
Towards a New Definition of Luxury
In the Northern Beaches, the idea of a luxury home is changing. It’s no longer about square meterage or shiny surfaces. It’s about connection, purpose, and presence. Our approach to Poetic Modernism aligns with this shift.
See how our Gateway House in Seaforth layers and responds to context
Explore the urban oasis of our little birch home
Take a tour of Casaballin to see poetic modernism intertwined with a mid century gem
We design homes that are ambitious—not in scale, but in thought. Homes that aim to enrich the lives lived within them.
And we believe this is the new coastal architecture. Not louder, but smarter. Not showy, but soulful.
If you’re looking to create something memorable—something human, elemental, and lasting—we’d love to explore it with you.
Interested in exploring Poetic Modernism for your coastal home? Let’s begin the conversation. Reach out to the team at buck&simple and discover how we can bring the “buck&simple stuff” to life in your space.