This sustainable beachside home in Burleigh Heads is warm, relaxed, and deeply connected to its leafy, sun-drenched setting. Designed for both work and play, it is home to a couple and their three dogs, Vinnie, Rocco and Grace. The house includes an art and yoga studio, three bedrooms each with an ensuite, a study, and a landscaped outdoor area complete with a roof garden that enhances its coastal outlook.
Designed with Nature in Mind
Set within the leafy coastal community of Burleigh Heads, the home faces Burleigh National Park, where mature fig trees frame the views from inside. The clients wanted a private, light-filled residence with high ceilings, excellent cross ventilation, and a design that connected deeply to the surrounding landscape. They also wanted a yoga studio, minimal joinery, and a plunge pool.
The finished home celebrates symmetry, functionality and flow. Its design maximises natural light with northern glazing and includes a central void that draws the eye upward. The overall effect is one of calm and balance, with every space designed to live in harmony with the subtropical environment.
Clever Coastal Architecture
Despite being on a compact 405sqm sloping block with a narrow street frontage, the architects created a highly functional home that feels spacious and open. The two-storey residence is terraced across three levels, with the street and garage at the entry, a lawn and pool courtyard above, and the main living terrace and ground level set to the rear.
According to the architects, the built form links a series of green spaces both within the site and beyond, borrowing natural amenity and reinforcing a strong connection to place. Outdoor areas add to the laid-back coastal lifestyle, with greenery integrated at every level to soften the building’s structure and blur the boundaries between house and landscape.
Overcoming Design Challenges
The site presented several difficulties, including privacy concerns to the east and west and a high retaining wall to the south. These were resolved by separating the garage from the main house and creating a north-facing courtyard that offers light, privacy and openness.
Inside, every space is designed to maximise views while ensuring seclusion where needed. The interiors use an organic colour palette of greens, greys and earthy tones, chosen to complement the coastal setting. Rooms are efficient in scale, which improves thermal performance, yet they remain generous in feel thanks to thoughtful planning. Multi-functional spaces are also incorporated, with the passageway to the master bedroom doubling as a study and library, while the art studio easily converts to a yoga studio or family room.
Sustainability Features
From the outset, sustainability shaped the design. Passive solar principles help keep the home cool in summer and warm in winter, while natural ventilation captures the breezes typical of the Burleigh Heads coast. Adjustable louvres and external blinds provide additional shading, while deep overhangs and hoods protect the home from the harsh summer sun. The garage roof doubles as a garden, helping to regulate internal temperatures, and solar panels feed excess energy back into the grid. Electric vehicle charging stations in the garage further support a low-carbon lifestyle.
A Home in Balance
The homeowners are delighted with the result. “We love looking at the rooftop garden from anywhere in the house and we like that the garage is hidden,” they say. “Sunlight is vital to us and the home has plenty. We achieve excellent airflow throughout, and the interior colours, tones and materials ensure a calming space.”
This Burleigh Heads residence is more than just a house; it is a sanctuary that blends sustainability, natural connection and coastal living into one harmonious whole.
