Headland House runs the length of an oceanside park, with astonishing views from Bondi in the North to Bronte in the south. The house is light, evocative of the beachside location, carefully tailored and integrated with plants and outdoor spaces to manage privacy and views. We felt a sense of responsibility to address the public park and create a backdrop for it that was humble and recessive but that people could relate to. Heavy use of planting on the upper level and a solid base to the building with a light, set back top floor ensures its bulk is minimised and that it is grounded and gracious in its setting. Arches, rough render and weatherboards all nod to the local architectural character and provide a pared-back palette to bring moments of interest and the unexpected to the façade.
Headland House was a typical semi-detached dwelling whose long boundary fronts a significant public park. When we rebuilt the house we introduced a rear courtyard for access. Upper-level views were able to be captured from the living areas and sunshine and light brought into all the spaces from the side. The public domain is vastly improved as the building turns to address the park and is heavily landscaped and thoughtfully finished.
The house is for a young family, the owner is a keen cook and has Chinese heritage. We drew on these personal aspects to inform the design. The kitchen is blackened timber (Shou sugi ban) which grounds the attached side of the house and turns the focus to the open, light-filled living spaces. The house is very narrow, being a semi, so breaking the rooms with an internal terrace and a double-height volume around the entry stair reduces the elongation of the plan. Windows extend the length of the side boundary and structural beams are expressed to bring a sense of honesty and simplicity to the spaces. The exposed beams, concrete entry arch, rough render and timber panelled ceiling nod to the urban beachside vernacular.
The house applies a restrained palette, sympathetic use of materials and forms in the landscape. Asian influenced detailing and evokes the humility of a beach house while meticulously assembly makes it subtly luxurious. The brief was to achieve a lot on a small, attached block with a relatively low sqm construction rate.
