Living Screens Conceal a North Bondi Beach House and a Semi-Indoor Pool

A family of five in the Sydney suburb of North Bondi wanted a home that would allow them to entertain and engage in their favorite activities at the nearby beach, including swimming and surfing. But the plot they owned was a narrow site that was easily overlooked by the two-story houses that flanked it and the low-rise apartment blocks across the street.

To establish privacy while creating a place where the family could entertain and enjoy indoor/outdoor living, Sydney-based firm CplusC Architectural Workshop created a set of fully plumbed, self-maintaining, LED-lit, green wall screens fitted with custom planter beds on the front and side of the house’s facade.

These screens keep the interior spaces hidden, and once the plants have grown, they'll give the house a vibrant green "skin" when seen from the outside.

The two-story, 2,271-square-foot house is separated into social and family zones. 

The ground level holds the kitchen, dining room, living area, and outdoor spaces, which are all interconnected and provide great circulation for parties. 

The sports equipment is stored in the entry courtyard, so it’s easy for the family members to simply grab their surfboards when heading out to the beach.

A galley kitchen with a custom-built bench creates a highly interactive space where family members and their friends can chat as meals are being prepared. 

An above-ground lap pool shares a transparent wall with the double-height living lounge, dining room, and kitchen—visually connecting the indoor and outdoor spaces while refracting sunlight throughout the lower level.

On the upper level are the bedrooms and bathrooms. Each of the bedrooms look out to either green spaces inside the property or the vertical living screens.

Cor-Ten steel, timber columns, burnished concrete, and unfinished, wood-composite boards that have been bonded with cement give the house a cool, laid-back charm. 

The living green walls, a large rainwater storage, and 10KW solar systems on the roof make this screened home both stylish and self-sustaining.

Project Credits: 

Architect and Builder: CplusC Architectural Workshop 

Structural Engineer: SDA Structures 

Landscape Design: Junglefy 

Lighting: Electrolight 

Interior Design: Jason Sullivan 

Sound Engineer: Alder Technology Consulting 

Cabinetry Installation: Bondi Kitchens 

Photography: Murray Fredericks