Overlooking Victoria’s Southern Ocean and a stone’s throw from Anglesea surf beach sits this minimal streamlined house. The home’s simple modernist form evokes many of the 1950s and ‘60s beach houses in the coastal township. For the clients, a couple with adult children and an extended family, it was an opportunity to create a place as much as share an experience with family and friends.

The former 1970s two-storey house on the 720-square-metre site had passed its use-by date and failed to provide sufficient accommodation. It also failed to fully connect with either the water views or the back garden. And given the house was perched towards the crest of the site (with a fall to the street of approximately three metres), there was also the issue of privacy.

While there wasn’t a vision for the house, the owners were fond of post-war modernist houses and also keen to rekindle some of the memories from a former beach house – a simple fairly rudimentary shack with some of the bedrooms only accessed via an outdoor deck. Unlike this shack, the new two-storey house, approximately 350 square metres in area, is constructed in charred timber and glass with feature sandstone walls. It was also conceived as an H-plan with two courtyards on either side – the primary courtyard allowing protection from the prevailing winds while still benefiting from the panoramic views.

At ground level, there’s the point of entry along with a bunk room that can also function as a rumpus room for the grandchildren. And on the first floor is the open plan kitchen, dining and living area that allows the family to congregate around the kitchen’s in-situ concrete island bench. As well as three bedrooms, including a guest bedroom, there’s the main bedroom and ensuite, benefiting from direct access to the terrace. Pivotal to the design is the main courtyard garden, designed by Eckersley Garden Architecture. Eckersley Architects complemented the parred back design by using a limited palette of materials. Spotted gum was used for the ceilings, Solid French oak for the kitchen joinery and limestone for all the floors (including bedrooms) that extend to the courtyard terraces and the walkway leading to two of the secondary bedrooms. Additional natural stone in the courtyard, arranged as crazy paving, adds to the home’s mid-century feel, with three mature olive trees adding to a sense of calm and tranquillity.

Words by Stephen Crafti