Retirement often brings the opportunity to start afresh, and to rethink one’s lifestyle unburdened by the constraints of work. For recent retirees Dave and Donna, it offered the chance to move closer to their children and grandchildren on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. They found an empty site on Wollongong’s Coal Coast and decided to build a home that could cater to extended family visits while allowing them to embrace their new seaside setting and celebrate their love of outdoor living.

The empty site had existing approval for a new home, and Dave and Donna initially planned to simply modify the existing plans. When they approached architect Jeffrey Bokey-Grant, however, he convinced them to start fresh and completely tailor the house to suit their needs.

Inevitably, there were a number of challenges to this approach. The hillside site has a steep gradient in two directions, bushfire restrictions on construction and glazing, and the morning light is blocked by a neighboring property. In addition, the cliff to the rear of the site meant the new home would have to work very hard to balance its climate control.

In responding to the brief, Bokey-Grant took inspiration from the shacks that originally dotted the NSW coast. “The house is a creamy, off-white color in a nod to the pastel colors they were painted,” he explains. “And, although the house is intentionally contemporary, it also nestles into its context and will continue to do so as the landscaping matures.”

The ground-floor entrance leads to an open-plan living/dining/kitchen area, which is arranged around a central joinery unit to avoid the need for walls to zone the space. As a result, access to the view is controlled as you move through the home—some areas are more cozy, with an internal focus, while others flow seamlessly to the outdoors.

The view lines also cleverly conceal less appealing aspects of the surrounding context, such as neighboring properties and power lines.

This idea, which Bokey-Grant calls “curating the drama of the site,” was essential to achieving a serene retreat devoid of visual clutter. “While there are lots of amazing parts of the site, there are also bad parts,” he explains. “We wanted to invigorate the good and hide the bad—this idea is rolled out throughout, with every window carefully placed.”

Upstairs, there is a primary bedroom with an en suite, two guest bedrooms, and a second bathroom for when family stays. These more private rooms take the same approach to framing the views, while the main suite opens to a balcony.

One of the project’s key challenges was the budget, which was similar to that of a conventional “off-the-shelf” home. To achieve this, Bokey-Grant reduced the plan to its essential elements and used a palette that embraced simple, readily available materials—think concrete blocks, plasterboard, and rendered fiber cement.

Details, such as joinery and bathroom tiles, were realized in natural materials to introduce warmth and a sense of craft to the otherwise gallery-like space. “Embracing these restrictions from the start meant we didn’t have to value manage the project, and we avoided a compromised design,” explains Bokey-Grant.

“Our home has a very calming effect on us,” reveal the clients. “Sitting on the front balcony watching the ocean through the trees is a daily ritual whilst having our morning coffee and lunch—the amazing views soothe the soul.”

This Family Home in Australia Is a Love Letter to the Sea

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Bokey Grant / @bokey_grant_architects

Builder: Rise Architectural Builders

Structural Engineer: ROC Engineering