This project is a minimalist holiday house designed as a modern interpretation of the traditional Australian beach shack.

Brief

The brief was to design a new holiday home in Hawley Beach, a small remote Tasmanian town.

Challenges

The key challenge was dealing with the site – a rocky sloping internal block. The home needed to provide easy access while also finding ways to minimise mechanical heating and cooling.

Design response

To address the site, the home was split into two zones. The first zone is the garage, which has been placed higher up for easy access.

The second zone is the living quarters, which include bedrooms and living spaces. This zone has been orientated northward, with a glass facade to capture light. The sun warms up the internal polished concrete slab, creating thermal mass that can be used as heating. Cross ventilation has also been maximised through the use of large sliding doors and windows that can expel any unwanted hot air and help cool down the space.

Opposing skillion roofs clad in Colorbond custom orb fold to form ‘book end’ rear walls for the two structures. Vertical timber cladding in Pacific Teak was chosen for its minimal shrinkage and low maintenance.

Key products/suppliers

• Roof – Colorbond Custom Orb
• Cladding – Pacific Teak timber
• Double glazed windows – Clark Windows