Built during the economically challenging 1940s, the Last Villa occupies a Gaudi-style landmark building on Sandy Bay Road. Its builder and designer, Taffies Patterson, was a master craftsman strongly influenced by the sea and passionately interested in recycling and sustainability.

Current owner and architect Steven Last describes the restoration of this heritage-listed building as like an archaeological dig to rediscover the original designer’s vision. Now known as the Last Villa, the building won a 2009 heritage architecture award. The villa’s stepped sandstone façade offers interest in an otherwise conservative street and is instantly recognisable.

The building had been on Last’s mind ever since he first spotted it when he was just eighteen, and became visually addicted to it. The restoration project included complete electrical rewiring and installation of heating and entertainment systems. The kitchens and bathrooms maintain their original character, albeit with updated appliances and tap fittings. The building enchants the young and old alike; step inside and transport yourself to Barcelona, Madrid, Seville …

Address: 2a Nutgrove Ave, Sandy Bay

Highlights: Heritage sustainability initiatives, stepped sandstone facade

Building specs: Type: Apartments. Year Built: 1940s, 2000s. Architects: Taffies Patterson, Stephen Last

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