Crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches and the tropical sting of heat and sweat on your skin. It’s Lizard Island – 240 kilometres north of Cairns on the fringes of the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef. Home to unparalleled natural beauty and now ‘The House’ – new architecturally designed accommodation deeply inspired by its place.
The House, designed by architects JDA Co., is a true passion project of owners Steve and Jane Wilson, borne from years of planning and a desire to create the greatest ‘reef house’ in the world, on a site Steve refers to as the “Bennelong Point of the Great Barrier Reef”.
The geology and marine life of this incredible reef location provided rich inspiration for the design.
The architectural plan is reminiscent of the stingrays that swim mere metres away. Narrow slit windows to the south and west act as ‘gills’ and are perfectly placed to direct prevailing breezes and allow The House to breathe on hot days.
On the Ground Floor, a Garden Room seamlessly unites the indoors and outdoors through stone flooring. Meanwhile upstairs, a burnished, polished concrete floor pays homage to the monumental granite shelf beneath The House.
A central, curved stairwell acts as the heart of The House and provides a seamless connection between levels. Gaze skywards as you climb the stairs and you’ll spy an Oculus for tracking the patterns of the sun and the moon. A roof terrace and spa cap off The House and offer 360 degree views of the landscape.
Internally, all three bedrooms come complete with ensuites and have been individually designed to frame vistas to nearby and distant places of significance. The top-floor bedroom frames views of Cooks Look, while bedrooms on the ground level look towards Hibiscus and Attenborough Beach respectively.
Rosewood timber and copper materials bring warmth to The House and serve as a canvas for the vibrant colours of the spectacular natural environment. A large curving Emerald Quartzite kitchen bench echoes a conch, with subtle green tones that compliment the hues of the landscape and reef beyond The House.
The design welcomes the elements in, all the while acting as a sanctuary from the goannas and geckos outdoors – of which there are many. It was aptly named Lizard Island by Captain James Cook when he passed it in 1770, after noting its large population of monitor lizards. The site also has a rich Indigenous history. Dyiigurra (Lizard Island) is the traditional Country of the Dingaal people and is regarded as a sacred space.
The House takes on the persona of a sort of ‘ruin’ in the past, which prompted design details like the use of stone and concrete materials. But the robust, board-formed concrete shell isn’t purely for aesthetics – it’s highly functional. The striking and rugged landscape lends itself to cyclonic winds and harsh weather conditions. As a result, The House is designed and built to shelter and protect when needed. Perforated copper blades lining the exterior are visually beautiful and act as debri shields that can withstand cyclonic winds intrinsic to this reef.
The House is available for bookings and is the final piece of a master-planned site on Lizard Island, which includes The Cottage nearby.
Team:
Architects: JDA Co.
Interior Styling: Sophie Hart
Photographer: Peter Bennetts
Materials Used:
Tapware & Toilets: Astrawalker
Basins: Custom Laminam, Marble
Appliances: Fisher & Paykel
Fans: Big Ass Fans
Lighting: Lighting and Design Group (LAD)
Armadillo & Co: Rugs
A custom-made rug by Tibet Sydney, inspired by the reef off one of the private beaches on the island
Bedding: Bemboka
Paul Morris: Built-in lounge, brass tables and lamps
Mud Australia and Dinosaur Designs: serving ware
Edra: Lounges
B&B Italia: Tables and chairs
Patricia Urquiola: Armchairs in each bedroom
Emerald: Quartzite benchtop
A curation of female Indigenous works by Ilma Savari, Fiona Omeenyo’s ‘Gathering the Clan Groups’ 2008, Susie Pascoe’s stunning painting ‘Koul’a Tchuchiniou Pa’amu Atapa’ 2008, as well as Punyas Dilly-bags by Dorothy Short obtained from Queensland galleries.
Commissions - Alison Coates ‘sea drifters’, vessels and platters by Anna Markey and a Tegan Murdock woven bowl
