Bundeena Beach House

2004

Bundeena Beach, NSW

The house is sited on the dune fronting Horderns Beach, at Bundeena, on the northern edge of the Royal National Park, on Sydney’s southern edge. It is a fragile place, commanding a particular sensitivity from an architect. The house is raised off the ground, set on steel posts driven into the dune, braced against a north-easterly sea swell that can, at times, send a surge of energy through the dune and into the building fabric. Thus, the house is designed to be both strong, and flexible - built of a composite steel/ timber frame, clad in rough sawn plywood and corrugated iron.

Each room provides a framework for a different set of experiences. The living rooms are positioned on the dune ridge to make the most of the stunning view. On the beach side a breezeway room sits protected from the morning glare of the water by operable timber louvred walls - and on the bush side, an open deck sits protected from a sometimes bracing breeze. The main bedroom is perched above the living rooms, well back from the beach for privacy, commanding 360 degree views, of the beach, the bay, the bush and the hamlet of Bundeena. Another bedroom and an office on the ground floor are accessed via an open, roofed timber walkway – gently forcing visitors and occupants to experience the elements.

For the owner, a naturopath, it is at once a beach house, a home, a place of work, and a threshold to the surrounding environment.

Project Team

Sam Crawford, Jonathan Moore, Jane Silcock, Jolyon Sykes

Consultants

Landscape Design: 360 Landscape Architects
Structural Engineer: O'Hearn Consulting
Geotechnical Engineer: GHD
Stormwater Management: GHD Quantity
Surveyor: Ralph Beattie Bosworth (NSW)
Land Surveyers: Denny Linker & Co

Builder: Premier Waterproofing
Council: Sutherland

Photography:Brett Boardman

Awards

Royal Australian Institute of Architects - Colorbond Award 2006 Innovative Use of Steel
Royal Australian Institute of Architects - Commendation 2006 Single Housing - New Winner 2005 Australian Timber Design Awards Residential Class 1 - Open Highly Commended
2005 Australian Timber Design Awards Major Award

Published

Blueprint Asia (Malaysia) December 2007
Blueline Media Architecture Bulletin July/ August 2006
RAIA Houses Magazine Issue 51 - 2006
Architecture Media Timber Design Australasia First Quater 2006 Neilson Publishing
Sydney Morning Herald - Domain November 2005