A 'Blank Canvas' House By The Beach

With a young couple (who have since welcomed their first baby) as clients, Planned Living Architects were engaged to create a functional home that could evolve into a big family holiday house in the future.

While many have lamented the issues of building on steep or uneven sites, for Planned Living Architects, it was actually the flat topography of the land, not overly typical of its beachside location, that provided the initial design challenge. ‘We basically were presented a ‘blank canvas’ and along with it came a certain level of “writer’s block!”’, tells Jay Earles, Director of Planned Living Architects.

Without site-specific guidelines providing a jumping point for design concepts, Jay and the Planned Living Architects team were forced to go ‘back to basics’. This free rein allowed the architects the opportunity to consider how they wanted to ‘approach the house, enter the house…and how to best maximise opportunities for sunlight in key spaces,’ without restriction.

Designed with flexibility in mind, this new build allows for the owners to occupy the main areas of the home, with a separate second wing providing ample space for family growth. A strong connection to the outdoors is essential to the enjoyment of the home, orientated towards the north-facing backyard with spectacular glass frontage looking out towards to an entertaining area, lush garden and pool, expertly designed by ACRE Landscape Architects.

Before building, bushfire overlays of the planning scheme required for the majority of the vegetation to be removed. Working closely Planned Living Architecture and interior architects Studio Tom, ACRE Landscape Architects reinstated the indigenous flora to the home.’ This modern beach house is the outcome from a passion for raw materials and hard architectural lines being softened by vibrant and eye-catching native plant palettes,’ explains Brett Robinson, Creative Director of ACRE, ‘the result shows that natives & coastal plants can be exciting and lush, whilst complementing an architecturally designed contemporary home.’