Architect Designs a Beach House for Nature and Family (House Tour)

Perched on a headland in Avalon in Sydney’s Northern beaches, the architect designs a beach house surrounded by nature. Surfside House is a family home of “substance, discovery and tactility,” says Richard Cole, architect at Richard Cole Architecture. “Substance comes from the heavy presence of the stonework and concrete structure, discovery because it doesn't reveal itself all at once … and tactility, because the materials are made to touch and weather over time.”

The home is based on a brief grounded in the amalgamation of two lots into one site. “It was a pretty open brief, calling for a relaxed beachside dwelling for an extended family,” says Cole. “We needed it to be a walk-in, walk-out house so it could cope with sand, salt and everything that goes along with beachside living.”

The way the architect designs a beach house to create a sense of movement starts from the entry sequence. One enters from the street level before arriving at a double-height entrance hall, which drops away from the staircase to the ground floor. The entrance hall is flanked by two large sandstone walls, with a sliver of a skylight that welcomes light into the interior design and directs the view to existing grass trees. An open-plan living, dining and kitchen design opens up to views of Avalon Beach and the sprawling palms and gumtrees beyond, while the bedrooms are more intimate and private.

The architect designs a beach house with a kitchen that is large and tactile. A wall of joinery adds intimacy to the space, while a long island bench becomes a piece of furniture in itself. V-Zug appliances integrate beautifully with the interior design, joinery and kitchen as a whole. “There is a seamless integration with the finishes,” says Cole. Throughout the rest of the interior design, neutral tones and timber dominate, imbuing warmth and a sense of calm.

Given its coastal location, spending time outdoors is naturally considered in the architecture and the way the architect designs a beach house. “The nature, garden and landscape are just as important as the architecture,” notes Cole. The family home integrates seamlessly with the garden, as the stone walls extend out into the garden by creating a series of terraces that drop down the site in a way that embeds the building within the landscape. “The main feature of the house is probably the stonework,” recalls Cole. “The beautiful thing about the stone is that it's a consistent material that has this wonderful variation in colour and texture and a beautiful level of detail.”

The architect designs a beach house that is a family home as well as a coastal oasis that beautifully responds to the site and the mood of the sleepy village. “I am most proud of the team and the clients were dream clients,” reflects Cole. “The level of commitment to the job really shows up to the level of detail and quality of construction – there is a genuine and authentic care that’s manifested in the house which is wonderful to see.”

00:00 - Introduction to the Beach House
02:00 - The Relaxed Open Brief
02:23 - A Walkthrough of the Home
03:26 - The Kitchen Design and Appliances
05:23 - The Garden Design
05:47 - The Main Feature of Stonework
06:17 - Proud Moments

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Photography by Simon Wood Photography.
Architecture and interior design by Richard Cole Architecture.
Styling by Jamee Deaves.
Appliances by V-Zug.
Filmed by The Local Production.
Edited by HN Media.
Production by The Local Production.

Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The Local Project acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land in Australia. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our country and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.

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