After living on the Bellarine Peninsula site for more than two decades, the owners of this oceanside property were given notice that their house was condemned due to significant corrosion throughout its steel structure. Although the timing wasn’t ideal, the family took the opportunity to invest in the land and create a home that would last for generations to come. They employed Kate Fitzpatrick and Ben Stibbard from Auhaus Architecture, with a brief for a home that would connect with the surrounding dune landscape — responding to it, protected from it, and also complementing it.

“We came to the project with full knowledge of the history of the site and with the task of designing a house that could withstand a barrage of salt spray and wind without deteriorating over time. There was also a strong focus on the need for views from all areas of the house and a design that responds to multi-generational living and the types of spaces that entails,” say Kate and Ben.

The sculpted central atrium linking the home’s three main levels
The sculpted central atrium linking the home’s three main levels.

While the concrete and timber façade of this home presents an austere first appearance, the concrete shell is quickly eroded upon entering the “half-level entry”. The interior continues to be inspired by the untamed dune landscape but uses the natural, durable material palette in a softer, more inviting way. The hardwood timber clads the ceiling and many of the internal walls and joinery, while the rich blues and greens of the oceanside are cleverly introduced in the flooring, tiling and soft furnishings.

The home is also subdivided across three levels: granny flat downstairs for the grandparents, main living and kids’ quarters on main floor, and master suite on the top floor. Each “wing” has a sincere connection with the external environment, and as the northern courtyard and roof garden mature and drape over the main concrete structure, each space will “feel nestled into the site and intimately connected to the landscape beyond”.

“The hardwood timber lining has been finished in natural oil and will silver off over time, and as the surrounding landscape matures, the house will start to meld into the dune scrub surrounds” — Kate Fitzpatrick and Ben Stibbard
“The hardwood timber lining has been finished in natural oil and will silver off over time, and as the surrounding landscape matures, the house will start to meld into the dune scrub surrounds”
— Kate Fitzpatrick and Ben Stibbard

As well as being perched over a dune escarpment, the house also sits directly adjacent to a public beach carpark, so the interface with the public was to be a key element of the home’s design, with privacy an important requirement for the homeowners. With no fence separating private and public domains, architectural character and clever landscaping were used to create a “dual sense of connection and protection. We’ve broken down the mass of the building on this side, opening up to the public through a large portal over the garage which is topped with a dune roof garden that will mature and visually merge with the landscape beyond the edge of the house,” explain Kate and Ben.

The hardwood timber clads the ceiling and many of the internal walls and joinery, while the rich blues and greens of the outside are cleverly introduced in the flooring, tiling and soft furnishings
The hardwood timber clads the ceiling and many of the internal walls and joinery, while the rich blues and greens of the outside are cleverly introduced in the flooring, tiling and soft furnishings

In responding to a challenging landscape, this home connects and complements its surrounding environment in all structural and architectural aspects. “The organic lines are a natural fit with the rugged native surrounds, creating an easy flow between spaces and reflecting the beauty of the natural environment beyond the house.”

Article Featured in Grand Designs Australia Magazine 10.1