ARCHITECTURE AND BUILDING BY HUMPHREY HOMES
HOME SIZE: 443 SQM
BLOCK SIZE: 678 SQM
The challenge when designing and building a home by the coast is how do you maximise ocean views, while offering protection from the harsh afternoon sun and gale-force winds?
At Humphrey Homes, we’ve answered that question with this ‘upside down’ house, that is wrapped in layers of sun protection.
Our in-house Architect, Helen Marchesani, has flipped the traditional layout and designed the main living areas upstairs to access expansive ocean views to the north and north-west. When the weather rolls in, this ‘crow’s nest’ can be shielded from the elements by a series of louvres, screens and blinds.
The architecture takes its cues from mid-century modern, with strong horizontal lines and the home connected to garden or ocean views.
The visual lightness of the top floor is anchored by a solid, earthy base. The materiality is warm and textural, combining micro-cement, timber and stone. Inside, this is overlaid with a colour palette of cool, calming ocean tones. The feeling is relaxed and welcoming.
The layout makes use of the site’s long northern aspect and employs solar passive principles. The front of the home is zoned for a study and guest accommodation, with the rear of the home reserved for the master suite and an additional sitting area.
Bisecting these public and private areas, is a lift. The home is designed with future mobility in mind, with the upper living areas easily accessible for all.
Owner/Director Dean Humphrey points out every Humphrey Homes design is bespoke and addresses the way the owner likes to live: “At the clients’ request, the 443 sqm home has 3 bedrooms and 2-bathrooms, with another multi-purpose room that can be reconfigured as required.”
