An Australian Beach Home with Stunning Ocean Views
Characterized by a balmy, temperate climate, the seaside Australian town Mount Martha couldn’t be a better site for this oceanfront home that opens itself to the sea breeze. OLA Studio, the firm behind the project, touts a strong commitment to passive thermal efficiency, exemplified by this project’s strategic planning and choice of materials. The four-bedroom, timber-clad home faces south to receive constant daylight and cross-ventilation via operable windows and a creative lighting scheme. The clients wanted a space that could easily accommodate any future children and friends. The home features three primary zones, each of which can be completely closed off from one another to provide both internal climate control and privacy. Ideally, however, the house would stay open to the outdoors. As OLA Studio's director Phil Snowdon explains, "These [ocean] views continue to hold your attention through the other rooms, allowing the intricacies of the dwelling to slowly reveal themselves."
The home, clad in natural Australian timber, enjoys a sense of lightness thanks to slender columns that let it float over the dunes. The driveway and entry, at the rear of the building, have an understated design to build to the interior's magnificent ocean views. Firm director Phil Snowdon explains, "By creating an architectural form that draws your eye and leads you up the steep driveway, we could engage new visitors in a welcoming process that first reveals the object and then slowly reveals the main event, being the view."
External shutters and screens allow the homeowners to manage the sunlight and cross ventilation in certain rooms. Manos Mavridis, also of OLA Studio, explains, "There was a preference for the screens to be manually operated to minimize ongoing maintenance costs and encourage user engagement with their environment."
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