In Conversation with Davidov Architects

We spoke with the Melbourne studio about atmosphere, restraint and the enduring principles shaping the future of luxury residential design.
 

Your studio often speaks about designing architecture where atmosphere is the primary outcome. What does atmosphere mean to you, and why is it such an important starting point for every project? 

For us, atmosphere is the point at which a space becomes something you can feel, rather than simply see. It comes through shifts in scale, contrast, shadow, material, sound and the way light moves through a room. We think about space cinematically, as a sequence that unfolds as you move through it. 

Beauty at a superficial level, or even technical perfection, is not enough. Both can date and become familiar very quickly. Atmosphere is more enduring because it is rooted in experience, asking how a building feels throughout the day, how it changes through the seasons and how the architecture continues to reveal itself over time. 

Davidov's work is recognised for its sense of restraint and timelessness. In an era where trends move quickly, how do you create homes that remain relevant and meaningful decades into the future? 

For us, restraint and longevity come from beginning with less. We start from a position of absence, introducing elements only when the brief, the site or the way the house needs to function makes them necessary. Once something is added, we test how it relates to everything else and whether it contributes to a clear whole. 

We question the brief, explore ideas and establish a hierarchy, avoiding unnecessary materials, elaborate details or gestures that rely on fashion. Interest and delight instead come through proportion, light, spatial sequence and details that are subtle, resolved and repeated. That is what gives a house lasting relevance. 

Light, proportion and materiality appear to shape every Davidov project. How do these elements work together to influence the way people experience a home on a daily basis? 

We think about light, proportion and materiality as inseparable because together they determine how a home is felt, not just how it looks. 

With proportion, we are less interested in maximum height than in contrast. A tall room only feels generous when experienced against somewhere more compressed or intimate. That variation creates hierarchy and gives movement through the house a rhythm. 

Light can frame a view, draw you forward, graze a wall or register the passing of time. Material gives that light substance through the way a surface reflects, absorbs, wears and feels underfoot or in the hand. Together, these elements shape how people move through a home, where they pause and how the spaces evolve over time. 

Many of your homes feel calm and understated while remaining incredibly detailed. How do you balance simplicity with richness throughout the design process? 

For us, richness comes from resolution rather than addition. A single device might solve several demands at once, while repetition, order and alignment create a sense of calm and coherence. 

We refine each element until the solution feels elegant and inevitable. Our belief is that the occupant experiences the care and consideration embedded in the house as care and consideration for them. 

Looking ahead, what do you believe will define the next generation of luxury residential architecture, and how is Davidov Architects evolving to meet those changing expectations? 

The next generation of luxury residential architecture will be defined less by visible technology, scale or spectacle, and more by the home's ability to act as a refuge. 

Technology will remain essential, but it will become increasingly discreet, supporting comfort, security and control without dominating the experience of the house. Our work continues to evolve in that direction, creating homes that feel calm, private and deeply considered, with the technology embedded quietly in the background. 

LEARN MORE: https://www.davidov.com.au/