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Cul-de-Sac Beach House
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Located at the end of a cul-de-sac, the recent subdivision is dotted with suburban-style housing. On a fairly small site of approximately 400 square metres, the clear and uninterrupted view of the water was the main attraction. For the owners, who live in the city, the four-hour drive to this location offered an affordable entry into this idyllic environment. The clients wanted a low-budget weekender that would not resemble their more suburban neighbours. "They didn't want the house to look like a project home or be open to passers-by. They wanted the sea to be the focus," says architect Peter Hill.
While the beaches past the headland are protected, the beach directly in front of this house is windswept and exposed. As the owners have friends in the vicinity, they knew the importance of sheltered outdoor areas. "Their friends had to do some serious planting to create a barrier against the wind. They knew that an open deck simply wasn't going to be used, however attractive the views were going to be," says Hill.
The architects designed a very simple weekender, only 110 square metres in size. The V-shaped house consists of the main living area, dining and kitchen to one side of the entrance. The other side consists of the main bedroom. And above the bathroom (at the point of the V) is a small loft space. Effectively one open-plan space, the loft acts as a viewing platform to the spaces below. Used as a space for guests or alternatively a home office, the loft features an exposed hardwood rafter and hoop pine-lined ceilings.
Materials have been kept simple, bagged brickwork on the exterior and rendered brickwork on the interior. Even the chimney and open fireplace is rendered brick. "We wanted to keep the materials consistent and not detract from the view," says Hill.
V-shaped walls create a protective nook on one side of the house. And outside the main bedroom and main living area, the architects extended the walls for protection against the wind. In the dining area, conceived of as a sheltered box, there is a long slit window at waist height. "When you're sitting down at the table, you can still enjoy the views to the water," he adds.
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