Bundeena Beach House

Sam Crawford Architects

The Bundeena Beach House is sited on the dune fronting Horderns Beach, at Bundeena, on the northern edge of the Royal National Park, on Sydney’s southern edge.

It is a fragile place, commanding particular sensitivity from an architect. The house is raised off the ground, set on steel posts driven into the dune, braced against a north-easterly sea swell that can, at times, send a surge of energy through the dune and into the building fabric. The house is designed to be both strong, and flexible - built of a composite steel/ timber frame, clad in rough sawn plywood and corrugated iron.
Each room provides a framework for a different set of experiences. The living rooms are positioned on the dune ridge to make the most of the stunning view. On the beach side a breezeway room sits protected from the morning glare of the water by operable timber louvered walls - and on the bush side, an open deck sits protected from a sometimes bracing breeze. The main bedroom is perched above the living rooms, well back from the beach for privacy, commanding 360 degree views of the beach, the bay, the bush and the hamlet of Bundeena. Another bedroom and an office on the ground floor are accessed via an open, roofed timber walkway – gently allowing visitors and occupants to experience the elements.
Sutherland Shire Council has a specific DCP for development within Bundeena. Whilst the controls within the DCP are fairly strict, they are not prescriptive of form or aesthetic. This allowed for a creative response to the demands of the client brief, the site and the budget so long as the building sat within certain parameters.

Location:

Bundeena, New South Wales, Australia.

Awards:

2006 Royal Australian Institute of Architects
- Innovative Use of Steel: Colourbond Award
- Single Housing - New: Commendation
2005 Australian Timber Design Awards
- Major Award: Highly Commended
- Residential Class 1 Open: Winner

Landscape Design:

360 Landscape Architects

Structural Engineer:

O'Hearn Consulting

Builder:

Premier Waterproofing