Inside ELEMA Brighton: Designing with the elements
In Brighton, where detached homes and long-settled streetscapes remain the norm, ELEMA introduces a different model for high-quality housing.
Developed by Kervale, this new collection of 12 townhomes is underpinned by the four classical elements, earth, water, air, and light, not as styling cues, but as structural and spatial drivers across architecture, interiors, and landscape.
Designed by Martino Leah with interiors by Brahman Perera and landscaping by Acre, the project responds to what Kervale identifies as a gap in the local Brighton housing market: mid-sized homes with character, amenity, and a genuine sense of community.
ELEMA’s configuration reflects this intent, with a horseshoe-shaped layout wrapped around a central garden, promoting passive ventilation and privacy without isolating residents.
Each home spans three levels and includes three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a study, and two car spaces, with internal areas up to 182 sqm and external zones up to 95 sqm.
Two of the twelve townhomes include private plunge pools with heated spa functionality in addition to pre-provisioning for internal passenger lifts. Prices start from $1.7 million, targeting aspirational Bayside owner-occupiers in their mid-30s to 60s seeking entry into Brighton’s tightly held upper market.
‘Earth’ is expressed in the project’s grounded material palette and connection to site. Natural stone, granites and timber finishes in earthy hues are used consistently throughout, anchoring the homes in their context while supporting thermal mass.
Landscaped courtyards and native planting schemes featuring predominantly Australian Native species, developed by Acre, extend the concept beyond built form, using layered, low-maintenance vegetation to root the development in Brighton’s coastal ecology.
The site layout follows a horseshoe configuration, creating a central communal courtyard that provides both visual outlook and passive environmental benefits. This arrangement improves daylight access, facilitates cross-ventilation, and introduces a shared green space without compromising individual privacy.
‘Water’ is introduced subtly but purposefully. Select townhomes include private plunge pools, integrated into rear terraces without visual dominance. These pools are designed for quiet retreat, and their placement reinforces the project’s broader focus on functional outdoor spaces that support private use rather than spectacle.
‘Air’ is enabled through architectural planning. The horseshoe site layout creates generous setbacks and enables cross-ventilation through each residence.
‘Light’ is a defining component of both the architecture and interiors. Large-format glazing opens living areas to courtyards and terraces, while the façade screening filters daylight to reduce glare and soften internal environments.
Internally, Perera’s palette of muted tones and tactile finishes is designed to respond to natural light conditions, shifting in tone and texture throughout the day.
ELEMA reflects a broader shift in how high-value suburbs are adapting to changing housing needs - away from uniformity, toward diversity in form, scale and function.
Rather than replicate detached housing models, ELEMA proposes an alternative built around balance, between public and private, built form and natural, permanence and flexibility. In doing so, it reframes the townhome as a highly resolved housing type capable of responding to both environmental and lifestyle needs.
ELEMA also targets an average 7-star NatHERS energy rating, supported by solar panels, drought-tolerant landscaping and high-spec energy-efficient appliances.
Three-bedroom townhomes at ELEMA Brighton are priced from $1,700,000.
