Brief
- To ensure the design was centred around the first-floor living areas to ensure the kitchen, living and dining were spacious and designed to take in the stunning views of Manly Beach.
- The ground floor was to house three bedrooms for teenage boys
- The big must-have was the entry door on the first-floor level and a modest and unobtrusive streetscape
Unique Aspects
- The desire for a generational home helped make the choice of a suspended slab construction an easy one. The resulting structure provided thermal mass to capture the morning sun, whilst the large rear eave shades much of the afternoon westerly heat.
- With the request for a modest, unobtrusive streetscape, the first-floor entry was a significant design challenge. The solution was to build up the front yard to take away from having a single long rise of stairs that would have dominated the facade. This worked splendidly with the added bonus of being able to place a 5000 litre rainwater tank above natural ground level which allowed natural fall to the street. This rainwater, falling to the street, alleviated OSD requirements.
- The double-brick ground floor absorbs the noise of three boys whilst keeping the temperature mild during summer.
- The use of the suspended slab also helped the large angled front balcony come to life. No steel beams or brackets to rust in the coastal environment. And the painted stainless steel balustrade posts, set into concrete, will see out the life of the home.
Story
This project in Balgowlah Heights is a family home built for today and generations in the future. The first meeting with the clients was three years earlier. Having tried unsuccessfully designing a home themselves, coupled with having a negative experience with another design/build company, they came full circle to Peninsula Homes.
Simplicity of design and finishes helped keep the build cost relatively low. This simplicity is also intertwined with the need for robust finishes to withstand a home of three teenage boys.
One subtlety we incorporated into the design is varying external aspects. These provide a comfortable area in any weather and in the various seasons. The front balcony is bathed in the morning sunshine, perfect in spring, winter and autumn. While in summer, the double-glazing in the front sliding doors helps to resist the early sun until it rises high enough for the eave to provide shade.
