DATE: 2010 | LOCATION:  Currumbin, Gold Coast, QLD

The brief for this beachfront project was to renovate the existing brick house, refurbish the interior and create new, larger living spaces.

The original home was built as a duplex on the site by the client thirty-five years ago. The surroundings are dominated by multiple-storey housing and the client had approval to demolish and build a new two-storey house, however she wished to maintain its original intent as a comfortable and inviting family beach house with all the character of the classic beach houses built on the Gold Coast some decades ago.

Primary emphasis was placed on the house being hassle-free and easy, but at the same time it needed to provide spaces for visiting family. The initial brief set out a framework for the project which included the desire to use as much of the original structure as possible, have a seamless flow from interior to exterior, maximise beach views, be open but secure, as well as incorporating low maintenance materials. Another interesting aspect of the brief was that the house needed the ability to be converted back into a duplex at a later time.

The beach house now incorporates environmentally sensitive design principles and robust, hard wearing materials and the garden features the existing pandanus trees planted by the client on the site when they built the original home.