The brief was to create a “beach house” for relaxed family living. The house had to be robust, low maintenance and able to with-stand the rigours of a slightly inland coastal environment, private in the sub-urban context but connected with the surrounds.

The Marsden Cove residence is located on a corner site with access to the canal system. The visual connection to Mt. Mania through the marina entrance was extremely important to the client along with the openness of the living space to the canal and marina.

The house is broken into three segments, the dining / family area with the main bedroom above is orientated towards the views to the canal entrance, the central portion contains the double height main lounge and kitchen with the entertainment area on the upper level, and the third consists of the garage and service rooms with the guest bedrooms and bathrooms on the upper level.

The house was constructed from a very limited pallet of materials, the floors, walls and roof were all constructed from concrete with the intent that the house would last for generations. Green tinted double glazing enclose the external walls, the concrete roof panels were finished with a warm room membrane system to create a thermally stable environment.

The commanding solid presence is contrasted by an incredible light quality, finished with accents of timber, aluminium and stainless steel which add depth and provided privacy to this prominent concrete residence.