Hermano House

“I would highly, highly recommend Simon based on our project with him. Whilst our location was a short walk from the beach, the block itself was a standard suburban block in a new land development. There were a number of project homes going around us, so we challenged Simon to create something unique that suited our adventurous style and allowed us to inhabited the space in line with our values of living as natural a lifestyle as possible. The end result was an incredible home, which incorporated a number of influences from our travels yet blended smoothly to ensure we wake up everyday feeling like we’re in an AirBNB. The thing that struck us the most with Simons design was how he moved away from the front to back conventional suburban layout on the block, to running the house horizontally to ensure we make the most of our beachside climate. We have a north facing aspect with front and rear outdoor areas to ensure we have a sunny spot for winter cups of tea outdoors as well as a luxurious garden area at the rear. We have NE sea breeze blowing through the house in Summer which negates the need for air conditioning (one of our asks!) and we have a suspended fireplace against a rammed earth wall to leverage the critical mass to warm the house in winter. Genius architecture reflecting our brief of a natural in home existence. Another huge, unexpected plus was how Simon used the form of the house to ensure incredible privacy in a packed suburban environment. We have enjoyed working with Simon so much in fact, that we’re just about to kick off another project together!”