Let the Landscape Flow In – Simon Couchman Architects House

The modern house design of the Simon Couchman Architects project, by Simon Couchman Architects, of course, will have you smitten from the very first glance. The single-story, ultra-contemporary home stands demure under the Victoria, Australia sun, in a small ocean-side beach community called Balnarring Beach. It is a hidden architectural gem, lovingly tucked in down under, whose façade, all glazing, wooden decks and perforated sheet metal glimmers joyfully under the sun. It’s not a home for inhabiting all year round, but a wonderful holiday home, which, according to the clients’ brief, would have the family “together, but not on top of one another,” hence the single-story structure. The home sprawls wide, faces north and is shaded by tea trees and wonderfully fragrant banksias. Around it, 1950s-style fibro shacks, modern homes and sandy driveway – the region is expanding.

The main goal set by the architects in completing this modern house design was to make full use of the construction site. As such, the U-shaped structure veers toward the rear of the block and follows the gentle slope of the terrain. In the front wing there is the sleeping area, separated for tranquility and privacy from the main day areas. The front yard is fully secured by a curved, vertical batten fence which connects to a curved wall of the house that leads visitors to the front door. The main living area opens out onto the central outdoor space through fully retractable bi-fold doors. There are terraced decks, a barbeque area and a passage window into the kitchen. The landscape is wonderfully framed by full-height windows, as well as slot windows.

(Source: SimonCouchman.com.au)