iving little away to neighbours except its cantilevered concrete facade, it’s only when you enter this home that the views slowly appear, initially to a north-facing central courtyard and then to the panoramic vistas in the open-plan living areas. Designed for a couple with two children leaving a Cape Cod-style timber home nearby, this was an opportunity to embrace a clear and modernist aesthetic while maintaining some of the wonderful textures found in a traditional beach One of the owners had seen our houses on Pinterest and she ‘joined the dots’ to some of the features, particularly in the way we use concrete. Looking for a completely different experience from their more traditional beach house nearby, they wanted something fairly monumental, but that also felt protected and tactile. It is extremely exposed to the elements so we had to create a number of protected outdoor spaces that could be enjoyed year round. The plan is U-shaped around a central courtyard with enclosed gardens and terraces on the first floor that bring the outdoors inside. We have also included apertures in some of the eaves to ensure northern light where appropriate. And what could be a more robust material than using off-form concrete against these elements? In such an environment it could be tempting to create a response that focuses on a singular view, here being directly to the easterly ocean. But it’s also important to ensure the outdoors can be fully used from all rooms, not just those that come with the ‘heroic’ view. In creating privacy from neighbouring properties there is a more internal aspect for some of the spaces. We generally start with a strong idea, and approach our homes with a simple and reductionist palette of materials. Here, there’s concrete and timber for the exterior, and inside we used white oak timber for the floors and joinery, a lovely contrast to the exposed concrete interior walls. We admire some of the brutalist architecture from the 1970s, many examples of which you can see in countries such as Brazil and other parts of South America. But we were always mindful of addressing the local context and responding accordingly. It’s protective, quite cocoon-like and perhaps a little mysterious from the street as it doesn’t give much away to passers-by. It’s certainly not the typical beach house, which is often quite skeletal in structure, but there’s a feeling of being relaxed and close to the elements. I love that it doesn’t feel overly precious and has a crafted look rather than perhaps a raw and brutalist appearance. We treated the concrete staircase with skylights allowing the continually changing play of light and shade against the walls. There are the large picture windows and glass doors that frame views, but these have been curated. It’s a slow ‘reveal’ when entering the house from a side door. It’s only when you come into the kitchen and living areas that you’re made fully aware of the presence of the dunes and the water beyond. Our client loves Scandinavian furniture and design, and already had a BØrge Mogensen ‘Spanish’ chair in the living area and Hans Wegner ‘Wishbone’ chairs for the dining room. The Danish designs show the beautiful grain of the leather and timber. These worked with the way we expressed the interior concrete walls, chiselling the concrete (a process called scabbling) to reveal the white aggregate. They use all the spaces in their home. The fifth bedroom, which leads to a garden behind the concrete facade, is also used as a yoga studio when not occupied. The outdoor spaces are treated more like rooms and there’s always an area that’s protected from either wind or heat. They love the house and enjoy the different experience it offers from their former home.
