0921 Sandstone House

...A strong inverted frame inspired by limestone caves along the coast captures northern light and shelters the existing house from harsh winter wind & storms while providing a dramatic modern re-invention of the street facade

This project represents the transformation of a character-style 1990s cottage into a luxurious weekender for a client whose passions include travelling to various surf hotspots throughout the world.

The design brief emphasised a desire for a casual, contemporary beach house which was low maintenance but with a few ‘hotel-style’ luxuries included, such as the plunge pool, onsen, outdoor entertainment areas, surround sound and (well-stocked) beer/wine centre in the kitchen. Craig Steere Architects responded to this brief, firstly with a modern reinvention of the front façade that involved removing the character-style verandah and concealing the hipped roof forms beyond with a strong inverted ‘frame’ structure reminiscent of limestone caves carved out along the ocean front, and secondly, by re-imagining the floor plan as a true courtyard house whereby the focus of the spaces is the courtyard, and the natural lighting and ventilation this central outdoor space facilitates. Changes were made to the existing building layout to allow increased interaction between inside and out with the introduction of stacking slider doors that open out onto a paved deck and pool area from the internal living areas. Internal walls were cut back and room layouts reconfigured to increase the sense of space and maximise floor area whilst barely changing the building footprint.