Immersive coastal design earns national acclaim

A Torquay architecture firm is the toast of Australia’s design industry after claiming Grand Designs Australia’s best large new home award.

Winter Architecture – which has offices in both Torquay and Fitzroy – was announced as winner of the annual prize at the lifestyle magazine and program’s house of the year awards late last month.

The winning design was its Bermagui Beach House, perched on a standout clifftop nearby the New South Wales coastal town’s famed Blue Pools.

Creation of the home was a five-year process since Winter first had contact with the home owners about the project in 2017, who chose to relocate their family’s beloved weatherboard shack to make way for a more contemporary, new era.

 

A tumultuous period that included bushfires, supplies delays and key personnel being stranded interstate and overseas due to COVID-19 made for a rocky construction phase, but didn’t hamper the end result, which caught the eye of the Grand Designs judges.

Members of the Winter team made the journey to Sydney for the awards ceremony, but Winter director Jean Graham said she was stunned by the victory.

“It’s so great for the many people in Winter and people that we’ve collaborated with. It makes the owners even more proud of their house.

“The house is pretty amazing, I think. That beautiful selection of products and suppliers from all around Bermagui area, it’s designed to sit within the landscape and create a nice calm escape for them to have their holidays together.

 

“It validates that our clients made the right decision working with us and trusting us.”

Bermagui’s temperate coastal landscape in a popular tourist destination was a familiar dynamic for the Winter team with its connection to Torquay.

The surrounds delivered by Kelly Royle Landscape Architecture are designed to mimic dunes, while timber cladding has been deliberately weathered to reflect the rugged environment.

The DD Funston-delivered project comprises three pavilions – living, main and guest – which aims to provide privacy between guests and hosts while encouraging gathering throughout the home.

 

Winter’s experience with similar landscapes also shows in practical elements such as an outdoor balcony set away from the main views to minimise wind impact, and outdoor showers immediately accessible on return to the blue pools.

Features including large, light-inviting windows, the property’s home’s at the rear of its lot and seamless outdoor spaces all add to the comforting, immersive feel.

“A lot of the time you see these houses and they’ve got really pristine, manicured lawns. But when you actually go to the beach, you want to connect to landscape like you’re part of that. You don’t want to interrupt it and put fences up,” Graham said.

“We completely opened up to the idea of people coming, having those informal conversations or gathering spaces that are shared areas. It’s about coming together.”