playful spirit and provide a counterpoint
to the sense of warm enclosure a
completely timber-lined space creates.
One of the key elements in designing
a house on the southern coast of
Australia is that the views are to the
south while the sun is to the north.
Hence the capture of light from the
north for warmth and for its visual play
with shadow, plus the controlled
consideration of the view, are key
drivers for the house plan. “The logic is
not to deliver one big panoramic view
all at once but to carve it up in order to
appreciate different perspectives – that
of foliage, the sea, the sky – from various
parts of the house,” says Wardle.
Outdoor space is hugely important,
especially in a house by the beach,
where the experience is not confined to
merely observing the outlook. The
north-facing courtyard is walled on
three sides to give protection from
prevailing winds and screened from the
street by dense vegetation. There is also
a roof terrace adjacent to the master
bedroom, facing the view, as well as a
charming and contemplative outdoor
seating area off the main living space,
hidden behind a heavy fabric wall,
which engages with the bush setting.
This built-in flexibility in terms
of usage allows for sociability and
informality, as a large sliding window
wall in the kitchen opens up to create a
bar, and links the indoors with the
outdoor barbecue area. There is also the
option of complete privacy in either of
the other two outdoor spaces.
Wardle takes the notion of bespoke to
a new level and applies his endless,
inventive logic. “As if a folded sheet of
zinc has been carefully wrapped around
an imaginary tree, this house redefines
the art of fold, yet it is remarkably calm
and seemingly modest in its geometric
expression of house-as-origami,” said
the Australian Institute of Architects
jury in giving the Fairhaven Beach
House a state award for residential
architecture in 2013. Later the same
year, it received the Robin Boyd Award
for Residential Architecture at the
national awards.
From the street the house is hard to
read and the external complexity belies
an internal simplicity in the planning
and flow of the spaces. With its large-
scale triangulated timber door pivoting
from a central position, there is
excitement even in the approach to the
house. The hallway is a space to move
through quickly, and so can sustain the
dynamism of visually interesting
geometric forms as timber planes
appear to fold and pleat. Drawn forward
towards the cinematic view, there’s an
increasing awareness of the complex
beauty of this design. Conversely, the
living room and bedroom are unruffled
and offer respite through the measured,
simple application of blackbutt timber
lining boards providing an entire wrap.
But back to the idea of nimble. The
house only uses up 44 per cent of the
building envelope. Yet more important
to Wardle is the relationship the house
has to its setting. “It is very responsive to
light and to landscape. For me, it seems
to pirouette and turn both this way and
that to capture the views.” #This is an edited extract
from Superhouse by Karen
McCartney. Photography by
Richard Powers. Published
by Lantern, $79.99.The living room coee
table was designed by
architect John Wardle.
The kitchen window
(below) slides back to
create a bar and link to
the outdoor courtyard.