DROMANA BEACH HOUSE

This new house on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula evokes nostalgic memories of beachside holidays, from the playful forms of 1950s beach shacks to the fuzzy feeling of sand between your toes. The two-storey house replaces a much-loved but long-outgrown shack. The brief was for a house that responded to the site, and one that provided enough room to accommodate the extended family for the summer holidays. By drawing on the familiar silhouettes of the classic Australian beach houses that once populated this coastline, the design engages in a dialogue with the local context. A solid rectilinear upper level seems to float above a smaller lower level. The upper level contains bedrooms and the kitchen/living space, which opens onto a covered balcony with views of the bay and to the garden below. The lower level is designed with the daily tracks of sandy feet and beach paraphernalia in mind and includes a bunk room and a playroom that spills out onto the lawn. This home was a joy to design and client meetings often felt like a family Sunday lunch. Care was taken to ensure that the design met the needs of all family members: three sisters, their husbands, numerous children and, most importantly, the matriarch.