MPR Design Group (MPRDG) have designed a new two level three bedroom waterfront residence in Coogee, Sydney, the architects ‘drawing from the best of tribal rough hewn and bushland living environments’.

Designed by Dennis Rabinowitz, principal of the newly formed architecture practice, the brief for the home was to have a soft, organic feel while still being equipped to deal with the harsh elements of the Australian coast.

The architect says:

“The consultation with the family was very detailed and intense. In helping create the living environment they desired, it was important for us to have a detailed understanding of how they live together as a family. It was a process of evolution,” said Rabinowitz.

“Collaboration with the builders Bellevarde Constructions and project team helped us to create a luxurious family home that will stand the test of time.”

With an earth-bound and rustic style, the house itself is based on traditional Cape Dutch fishing village houses of the Southern African west coast.

The design conceived the house as a series of ‘bungalows’ around an internal entry court which seamlessly dissolves into the exterior. The flow of internal to external space was achieved through the consistent use of materials including rough render to walls, wide timber floor boards, full height sliding timber windows and timber decking to outdoor spaces.

Warm timber flooring and ceiling boarding is complemented by render cornices and skirting, blurring the junction between floor, wall and ceiling planes. These finishes are set against a background of rough-hewn timber logs on external pergolas and exposed internal truss frames.

“We wanted the design to be open and allow easy transition between spaces and even between the external and the internal areas,” he said.

The home features a distinct point of entry through a robust front gate and lush landscaped gardens with lush planting including mature fig trees, and large granite boulders brought to site from Cooma in southern New South Wales. A pathway guides the visitor to a staircase and bridge over a Koi pond to the external forecourt of the home.

The forecourt provides the entry to the home through a large stable door and also doubles as a wind-sheltered terrace area from which the gardens, 20 metre infinity-edge lap pool and foreshore can be seen.

The open-plan design of the living, dining and kitchen spaces enables panoramic views of the ocean and coastline, with a secluded family room located off the open space.

High gloss slick finishes were a taboo so continuing the rustic feel into wet areas presented a challenge. A special resin based white polished quarts render was developed which was even used on shower walls. This material ensured that the bathrooms maintained a soft earthy form and felt like an extension of the rest of the house whilst performing functionally as a moist environment.

The sandy sloping nature of the site also presented its problems so we made use of large river-stone filled wire gabion walls and extra large granite boulders especially transported in from Cooma to form economical interesting terracing of the site. These materials usually used in civil structures create an interesting backdrop and character for the landscape which was expertly crafted by Will Dangar.

“The views from this property are simply breath-taking and an integral part of the design was to maximise these views and also create a home that blends with the coastline and does not detract from the beauty of the surrounding nature,” Rabinowitz said.

The living spaces open to outside living terraces surrounding the lap pool and spa.

Upstairs is a bedroom level with three suites situated around a family retreat. Each suite offers a private terrace with views to the tropical gardens and ocean.

The master suite boasts features such as a fireplace and an open “indoor-outdoor” bathroom, reminiscent of a tropical island resort.

A lower level features a main study with glass-fronted steam shower that connects via a covered patio to the lawn and foreshore boardwalk beyond at the bottom of the site.

MATERIALS

INTERNAL — Blonded Cowrie pine T&G ceilings, exposed rough-hewn timber trusses, melaleuca battens, un-floated render and painted walls, polished Quarts render to wet areas, Perigord limestone and 230 wide ‘v jointed’ tallow wood floors and polished recycled Ironbark treads.

EXTERNAL - Corrugated copper roofing, un-floated render and painted walls, timber window frames, rough-hewn timber pergola elements, brass handrails, wide board Vitec timber decks, Indonesian ‘Sukabumi’ stone pool tiles and washed riverstone gabion retaining walls.

ESD FEATURES

Harvested rainwater
Photovoltaic solar collectors
Gas fired hot water system
North East orientation
Adjustable external shading devices
Low-E glazing in timber frames
Insulated external cavity walls
Abundant thermal mass
Adjustable louvre cross ventilation

Architecture & Design Team

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