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Located in Fingal Head — a small fishing village near the border of New South Wales and Queensland — this renovation by Justin Humphrey Architects offers a fresh take on the classic fibro beach shack.
Homeowners Josh Rush (founder of screen-printing business Heavy Press) and Shannon Tricklebank purchased the home in 2021, after falling in love with its 1960s striped fibro cladding, awnings and timber windows, and enduring warmth.
Despite these charms, the structure was tired, with asbestos in the cladding, and its modest size needed reworking for their growing family.
The couple were also very aware that the home needed to respond better to the flood risks of its location. It had been significantly impacted by the flooding in February 2022, when waist-height water ran through the house, tragically destroying most of the contents inside.
‘It was obvious from the start that our clients were very fond of the scale and relaxed feel of the original house,’ Justin Humphrey says.
‘They are genuine, down-to-earth people who are very connected to where they live. Taking the time to understand them, and their patterns of living, gave us a huge amount of qualitative cues for designing the house.’
A combination of the family’s relaxed coastal lifestyle and the character of the original shack set the agenda for the redesign.
The existing structure was retained for the bedrooms, re-clad, and lifted to avoid flood waters — now placed above a delicate screen of hit-and-miss brickwork that neatly creates a landscaped entry sequence.
To the west, there’s a sensitive addition, complete with a garage that blends seamlessly into the facade with matching fibre cement cladding. Steps lead to the front door, where a glazed linkway connects to the rest of the new wing, featuring the home office tucked above the garage and the open-plan living spaces.
‘[The addition] doesn’t pretend to be original, but sits in a complementary way,’ Justin adds.
‘These entry stairs provide a natural perch to watch kids on the lawn, a place to engage with neighbours or take in the breezes and views to the local waterhole across the road. This is a modest gesture that strongly sets an agenda of neighbourhood engagement.’
Inside, terracotta tiles are paired with timber floors and soft green joinery, as bi-fold doors open the rear to an elevated deck overlooking the leafy backyard.
The best part is how the shack’s modest nature has been retained, yet elevated, for modern day. It’s a rewarding result, as even Justin admits it might have been more straightforward to start fresh.
‘In this case, it was an exercise in looking at an existing structure and taking the time to see how it could be given another life,’ he says.
‘There is something really nice about integrating the old house in this way and allowing the scale, qualities and feel of it to continue on without just removing references to the past because it’s easier.
‘Opportunities like this are a great way to try and maintain the distinct character of an area like Fingal, which is why people moved there in the first place.’
