Project: Beach House
Architects: Clare Cousins Architects
Design Team: Clare Cousins, Tara Ward, Jessie Fowler
Location: Mornington, Victoria, Australia
Photographer: Shannon McGrath
The Beach House from Mornington, Victoria, was designed by Clare Cousins Architects in order to provide an additional accommodation to an existing 1970’s Merchant Builder’s home where the owners can retreat and relax while enjoying the view of the ocean.
Rather than demolish or renovate the Merchant Builder’s home that is located on a sloping block with limited access to ocean views, the designer has chosen to design a new pavilion adjacent to the original at the front of the site. Due to the planning regulations that permit only first floor structures, that are located over car parking or storage areas, the elevated ‘stilt’ design has been chosen. The wood has been chosen as the main material and used holistically both internally and externally. In this manner the impact and costs were reduced to the minimum.
The Beach House includes a new master bedroom wing with living room and a deck for outdoor dining that captures broad views of Port Philip Bay. As we can see in the images below, the Beach House is defined by a casual design with rustic accents. The rooms are spacious, being flooded with light due to the huge windows.
A soothing combination of wood with warm tones was used in order to highlight the deep connection with the surrounding environment. As a bridge between ”new” and “old” , an enclosed circulation stair clad in translucent polycarbonate connects the Merchant Builder’s home to the Beach House illuminating during the night. We can all agree that the Beach House designed by Clare Cousins offers an intimate, relaxing and comfortable atmosphere.
