After serving as a holiday home since the 1980s, the original structure was beyond repair and demolished to make way for a new holiday home to suit the growing needs of this interstate family.

A key element to the client brief was the need for low-maintenance materials. Set only meters from breaking surf and on the fringe of Noosa National Park, this home is situated in a salty environment that gets limited direct sunlight due to the thick rainforest canopy above. Therefore, homes in this area can be particularly prone to corrosion and mould. This influenced the introduction of hard wearing materials like the standing seam metal cladding, face brick, and porcelain floor tiles.

The windows and door design has captured and framed the surrounding rainforest, bringing the outdoors in and softening the interiors with gentle, lush greenery at every glance. The New Guinea Rosewood feature doors stack externally to maximise the opening size and were chosen for their ease of operation and ability to soften the palette.

Set over three levels, the home has been designed to comfortably sleep two families at a time, with two ensuited master suits, two children’s bedrooms with a dedicated powder room and bathroom, plus powder rooms on the other two levels for convenience. The cabinetry and benchtops are made from melamine and reconstituted stone for maximum durability while the dual timber staircase has been made from Melunak to inject some warmth.

The project wasn’t without its’ challenges. Positioned over two subterranean natural springs, digging footings was particularly challenging. As were deliveries, with the only site access via a road with a 9-tonne gross load limit, all deliveries had to be in multiples via small trucks to avoid costly road closures. Car parking was also a challenge due to the world-class surf break at the end of the street. And of course, there was the pandemic to contend with. The lockdowns and border closure kept the owners in their Melbourne home the entire build, so all site meetings were conducted via FaceTime video calls, with the very first site inspection being at handover. Thankfully they loved their new holiday home.

Completed
2020

Photography: Brock Beazley