For some years, a Sydney-based family had enjoyed their holidays in a tiny pre-fabricated house on a beachfront lot.
But they outgrew it.
So they commissioned MCK Architecture & Interiors to create a design that would improve the accommodation and take better advantage of the opportunities of the location and aspect while retaining a relaxed, simple pattern of inhabiting the site.
MCK Architecture & Interiors’ design response was to retain the open, exposed, and windswept nature of the site, and to allow the envelope of the house to provide privacy, security, and protection from the elements.
In effect, the house was used as a fence.
The desire for a modest and unassuming presentation to the street drove the idea of the house as an object which had weathered in place in the dunes.
The slanted roof form clad in pre-weathered spotted gum references the windswept, pared-down vegetation of the foredune, and retains sunlight to a neighbouring property.
The volume of the house was punctured with courtyards, and the boundary condition was carefully handled to provide a variety of spaces and atmospheres to suit the constantly changing conditions.
Large openable timber screens allow simple modulation of light and shade, privacy, and access.
The massing has been pushed away from the humble local streetscape towards the rear of the site where the connection to the waterfront immediately acts as a magnet to all visitors.
In this respect, an ocean sight-line has been established from the front door, and through the primary circulation hall shaped as a shotgun corridor running east-west.
The planning arrangement allows reduced usage of the home by compartmentalizing the additional bedroom wing, such that the home is as comfortable for two people as it is for a group of ten.
Much like the local Oystercatcher population, this family also chooses to nest in the white sanded dunes of Jervis Bay.
Project Details
Project Size – 249 m2
Site Area – 745 m2
Completion Date – 2021
Building Levels – 2
Project Team
Architecture
MCK Architecture & Interiors
MCK is a young team of multi-award-winning architects based in Sydney. Their design team for this project included Steve Koolloos, Sam Gleeson, and Mark Barrow.
Structural Engineering
SDA Structures
SDA Structures is a specialist structural engineering practice. Since its inception, the firm has been involved with high-profile projects throughout Australia.
Landscape Architecture
The Garden Social
The Garden Social designs thoughtfully balanced gardens that bring together the character of the land, the architecture, and the lifestyles of the people who live within it.
Photography
Prue Ruscoe
Prue Ruscoe is a Sydney-based photographer, specializing in lifestyle, fashion, and interiors. Her work is known for its relaxed, yet polished style.
Photo Gallery
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Design © 2022 MCK Architecture & Interiors. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2022 Prue Ruscoe. All Rights Reserved.
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