Casa con vista al mar, en Australia

En este caso, los clientes estaban buscando sustituir la deteriorada cabaña en la playa que la familia había tenido durante muchos años. La casa tenía que cumplir con las necesidades de un modesto retiro de playa para, posteriormente, convertirla en su morada permanente. Los clientes habían pasado muchos años de su vida en Barwon Heads y estaban buscando una casa que se integrara con el paisaje urbano existente, a la vez, que se pudiera adaptar al carácter cambiante de la ciudad. El diseño de la casa fue concebido cuidadosamente para respetar la esencia de su estilo de vida rural y costero, y en última instancia, para darles cobijo en la última etapa de sus vidas.

Los clientes no estaban convencidos de que era necesario tener un garaje ya que siempre habían estacionado en la calle, sin embargo se consideró la inclusión de un garaje privado para guardar su automóvil o un barco. Parte de la preocupación en relación con el garage era su impacto en el paisaje urbano, combinado con el hecho de que el lado sur del sitio (el lado obvio para ubicar el garaje) tenía excepcionales vistas al estuario Barwon.

En respuesta a estas limitaciones, se decidió construir un garaje tándem en un semi-sótano como una solución satisfactoria que en parte disfrazaría la existencia del garaje en relación con el paisaje urbano y que, a su vez, podía proporcionar un apoyo estructural al ala principal del salón de la vivienda, elevándola para mejorar las vistas al río. La disposición de la planta de la casa conforma tres pabellones principales separados por enlaces acristalados al sur, noroeste y noreste, abarcando un jardín al norte, frente a patio, protegido de los vientos predominantes.

Original Text in English

This house is located in old Barwon Heads on a street which accommodates an eclectic mix of post war beach houses dominated by single storey weatherboard dwellings. Contemporary architectural houses are now weaving their way into the surrounding streets, a reflection of a shifting property market. In this case, the clients were looking to replace their deteriorating beach shack which the family had owned for many years. The house was to fulfil a modest brief for a beach retreat and subsequently it would become their permanent dwelling. The clients have spent many years of their life in Barwon Heads and they were seeking a house which would effortlessly integrate within the existing streetscape whilst adapting to the changing character of the town.

The owners are well known to Jon Clements who has spent many years visiting both their beach shack and their rural bluestone farmhouse which overlooks the Moorabool valley west of Geelong. The design of the house was carefully conceived to embrace the essence of their existing rural and coastal lifestyle and to ultimately accommodate the later stages of their lives.

The clients were not convinced that they needed a garage (they have always parked on the street) however the inclusion of a single car garage to accommodate a car or boat was up for consideration. Part of the concern in relation to the garage was the impact of its presentation to the streetscape which was an obvious concern, combined with the fact that the south side of the site (the obvious side for the garage) had exceptional views to the Barwon Estuary.

In response to these constraints it was decided that a semi-basement tandem garage would provide a satisfactory solution which would partially disguised the existence of the garage in relation to the streetscape whilst providing the primary structural support for the main living wing of the dwelling and elevation for improved river views. The planning arrangement of the house is split into three primary pavilions arrangements separated by glazed links – south, northwest and northeast, all of which embrace a north facing courtyard garden protected from prevailing breezes.

The South pavilion provides the primary open plan living space, study, laundry and guest bedroom/bathroom. This pavilion is strategically located on the south side of the site to embrace river views and the primary north solar orientation. The northwest pavilion encompasses the retreat, master bedroom, Walk-in robes and ensuite. Two primary elements are split by a breezeway to improve cross flow ventilation and to accommodate an outdoor shower often used on return from the beach.

The northeast pavilion (fronting the streetscape) provides a shaded gauze room referencing aspects of traditional rural woolsheds which used timber battens for shading whilst providing extensive cross-ventilation for cooling purposes. In this case the building is entirely clad in a triple skin translucent polycarbonate cladding system with the inner skin entirely clad with timber battens. Large barn doors open to the east and west and the openings are subsequently protected by sliding gauze screens. This space provides cool shaded ventilated space in summer (doors open) and a warm passively heated space in winter (doors closed). An important aspect of this room is its direct and engaging relationship with the streetscape and the important social aspect of communicating with people passing by on foot. To further reinforce this aspect the boundary fence was placed to the north side of the pavilion to remove any sense of disconnection from the streetscape and the people who populate it – arguably an important aspect of the sub-culture in Barwon Heads.

The presentation of the streetscape elevation is divided by the different materiality of both the south and northeast pavilions. The gabled forms embrace the context of the surrounding post war weatherboard houses and the white polycarbonate directly references the white weatherboards of the dwelling to the North. In this respect the presentation of the streetscape elevation provides a transition or blurring point between the neighbouring dwellings to the north and south.

The collection of pavilions sit elevated on a perimeter masonry wall which provides a definitive boundary between the perimeter landscaping dominated by gravel and native grasses (the dunescape referencing the historical landscape condition) and the grass courtyard (the notional intrusion). Large circular concrete planters (stock troughs referencing their rural lifestyle) accommodate the herb and vegetable gardens within the perimeter ‘dunescape’.

ESD strategies include Active and passive shading systems, Solar Hot water Systems, Rainwater harvesting (for toilet, garden and washing machine use), high performance double glazing and under floor hydronic heating. Air-conditioning systems were not installed.

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The house is located in Old Barwon Heads on a street which accommodates an eclectic mix of post war beach houses dominated by single storey weatherboard dwellings. Contemporary architectural houses are now weaving their way into the surrounding streets, a reflection of the shifting property market. The owners were looking to replace their existing deteriorating beach shack with a modest beach retreat that would subsequently become their permanent dwelling.

After many years spent in Barwon Heads, the clients were seeking a house that would integrate effortlessly with the existing streetscape whilst acknowledging the changing character of the town. The design of the house was carefully conceived to embrace the essence of the clients existing rural and coastal lifestyle and to accommodate the later stages of their lives. The planning arrangement of the house is split into three primary pavilions connected by glazed links which embrace a north facing courtyard, protected from prevailing breezes.

The South pavilion is strategically sited to embrace river views through its partial elevation above the garage and the primary north solar orientation. This pavilion provides the primary open plan living space and kitchen, study, laundry and guest bedroom/bathroom. The Northwest pavilion is separated by a breezeway to provide cross-ventilation and accommodate an outdoor shower, it encompasses the retreat, master bedroom, walk-in robes and ensuite. The street facing, Northeast pavilion provides a shaded gauze room, referencing aspects of traditional rural woolsheds, using timber battens for shading whilst providing extensive cross-ventilation for cooling purposes. The presentation of the streetscape elevation is divided by the different materiality of both the south and northeast pavilions.