Designed for interstate clients as their Sunshine Beach holiday retreat and sited within the relatively tight confines of four neighbouring houses and a duplex, the Sunshine Beach house focuses on creating an ‘oasis of leisure’ within the boundaries of its 536 sq.m coastal site.

The design gathers secondary spaces around a private North facing double height indoor outdoor room and swimming pool zone. As the main social space, the double height open volume of the living space compresses over the kitchen and pool room at either end of the space, and similarly the main Outdoor room volume compresses as an undercroft below the main bedroom providing varying places to enjoy family time, relaxation and holidays.

Separate zones of the house are connected via a strong visual axis of circulation from the double height timber screened entry on the East through to the louver window on the West. Along this ‘spine’, Northern light falls through a continuous high level clerestory ‘pop up’, encouraging winter sun and natural cross ventilation.

Northern sunlight is reflected off the water and dances on the ceilings and walls of the surrounding spaces, which can also be enjoyed from the intimacy of the window boxes in each high level bedroom.

Taking visual clues from coastal beach shacks of the mid century, the economical material palette combines exposed timber framing, Spotted Gum hardwood screens, exposed studs, FC weatherboards, and polished concrete evocative of beach sand.

Materials used:

1. Hardwood Battens - Spotted Gum

2. Horizontal Cladding FC Weatherboard

3. Fibre Cement Sheet Cladding

4. Porcelain Floor Tile 1000mm x500mm- Matte Dark grey

5. Ceremic Rectiified Wall Tile, 300mmx600mm, 100mmx600mm, 200mmx600mm - White

6. Carpet - Windsor Wool - Grovedale Colour: 2012 Rebel

7. Polycarbonate Twinwall Sheet - Finish: Ice (Opal)