Luke Warnock

Completed - photos to come

The design makes the most of its great assets while providing a delightful, comfortable home throughout the year.

The amazing site at the northern end of Blueys Beach has spectacular views to the east and south, and challenging solar access over the hill behind. It feels the full force of the southerlies as they head up the coast, with their salt laden moisture. In addition, the road below is a favourite spot for locals and tourists to gather and check out the surf, impacting on the privacy of the rooms with a view. The triangular shape of the block added an additional layer of interest to the project.

The design needed to make the most of the great assets while providing a delightful, comfortable home throughout the year.

The living rooms were pulled out of the plan and aligned with the angled eastern boundary, while the bedrooms and service areas formed a more regular boundary to the west. The junction between the two provides a terrace across the southern façade for making the most of the great views down the beach and beyond, and sheltered areas to the north.

A lower courtyard in front of a curved retaining wall provides for wonderful solar access to the lower living areas. The upper living area opens directly onto the grassy courtyard which provides a sheltered garden experience, protected by the house from the southerly winds.

The main bedroom faces south and east to the views, with a low masonry wall to the edge of the balcony providing great privacy from the road, without impacting on the spectacular views. The roofs of the house have been shaped to provide protection from the sun and rain, while enhancing the form of the building. Windows and doors have been designed to ensure controllable natural ventilation that helps make the house comfortable throughout the year.

The separate bedrooms and living area downstairs enables great flexibility for visitors, leaving the appropriately sized upstairs accommodation for the owners.

Simple and intuitive methods for operating the house
Provision of home office facilities
Convenient location of storage space for recycling
Building designed to be adaptable and accessible
Car parking area able to be easily converted for other uses

Good thermal performance of house
Good natural light and ventilation
Good views to the outside
Tiled floors throughout house
Attention to planning and detailing to manage acoustics
Low VOC paints
Low VOC boards for joinery

Good thermal performance to result in minimal heating and cooling
Appropriate levels of insulation and thermal mass
Ability to zone areas of the house
Well designed natural ventilation throughout house
Good natural light throughout house
Low energy lighting using fluorescents and LEDS
Energy efficient appliances used throughout
Electric heat pump hot water heating
2 kW photovoltaic system for energy generation
Convenient, dedicated, sunny area for drying clothes

High performance water saving fixtures and appliances
Low water garden
Water tanks located in store room under kitchn, connected to toilets, washing machine and landscape

Materials selected with thought given to reducing their impacts over their life, with particular regard to maintenance
House designed to easily adapt to changing family lifestyles

Land used for building improved by project
Garden design to enhance local ecosystems and encourage local flora and fauna
Garden design inherent to house design
Connection of living areas to garden to assist in better care