Position of garage frees up design options for this contemporary new home

A strategic early move can open the way for an expressive house design that meets all the needs of its owners. For this home, by Mark Broadley of Giles Tribe Architects, digging the garage in partly underground paved the way for light-filled spaces and great connections above.

The owners’ brief for this coastal home was to connect with the relaxed Bondi beachside feel and provide a flexible environment for them and their growing children, says Broadley.

“The couple wanted the home to be casual, fresh and modern, but the brief was otherwise pretty open. With the expansive garage – a must in parking-starved Bondi – set underneath we then had free rein with the architecture above.”

The home is in a stepped form providing for several corner windows upstairs and downstairs that face in the direction of the limited sea views. Sliding screens add visual interest to the facade and bring control over the sun and privacy.

While the main body of the home is finished in smooth render, the base and raised garden wall has random ashlar stone cladding – echoing the local sandstone cliffs and outcrops.

Enduring, low-upkeep materials were chosen to offer long-term performance in the rugged coastal setting. These included the sandstone cladding, a standing-seam aluminium roof and high-spec aluminium windows and louvres.

On entering the home, guests are greeted by a double height entry hall with a skylight that floods light into this central circulation space. A circulation stair in travertine with frameless glass balustrade leads the eye upwards, as does a custom-designed multi-head pendant light.

The tall circulation space also acts as a zone divider on the upper level of the residence.

“Natural light was an important part of connecting the interior to the setting and this was addressed in another way, too,” says the architect. 

"“Straight ahead from the entry, there is the large open-plan kitchen, living and dining space, with wall-sized glass sliding doors, which opens to the backyard and mosaic-tiled pool.

The kitchen is a feature within this space – a balanced composition of granite benchtops, two-tone cabinetry, and mirror splashbacks, together with American oak accents. The long island bench incorporates a casual meals area, while the kitchen joinery extends outdoors as an outdoor kitchen. The messy side of kitchen life is relegated to a hidden walk-in pantry.

There’s also a family room, a study, a guest bathroom and a laundry on the ground level.

Providing room to grow and privacy for the owners’ two children, the first floor is zoned with a master suite for the parents set to one side and the children’s bedrooms, each with its own ensuite, set to the other side.

The master suite includes a skylight-lit dressing room with bespoke his and hers joinery, an ensuite with spa and an adjacent retreat area. The refined joinery is finished in chalked oak veneer and silver travertine. The master bedroom opens to a balcony overlooking the rear garden and this also takes in views of the sea.

The lower ground floor has a dedicated home theatre and a climate controlled cellar. The large flexible carparking is fully lined and doubles as an area for gym and indoor activities – another way of optimising space for the young family.

Sustainable measures in the home include, passive solar design, excellent cross ventilation and insulation, large rainwater tanks, photo voltaic cells and gas-boosted solar hot water.

Story by: Charles Moxham

Photography by: Robert Walsh