This small house is to be a couple's retreat from a hectic working schedule in the city. Located in dunes east of Esperance it is to be a place that allows the owners to experience an untouched and still very wild landscape. On a large block of costal scrub carved off from an even larger rural property, wildlife abounds. We didn't want to disturb any more was strictly necessary, so the house takes the form of a compact cube. This helps to keep construction costs in check by reducing surface area, results in less disturbance to the dunes and less claimed territory that needs to be maintained going forward.
"... large operable screens can be positioned to block the sun or to reveal expansive views."
The small internal floor area is balanced by a generous double height main living space. The master bedroom is on the second level, directly connected to the main volume. This allows compact spaces to avoid feeling like small rooms, rather they form part of a generously sized whole. Between the external walls of the house and the landscape are a series of decks and awnings. These spaces are large relative to the size of the house, providing ample additional living space as well as shading and sheltering the internal rooms. large operable screens can be positioned to block the sun or to to reveal expansive views. The secluded location permits small luxuries such as an open upper level deck complete with circular bath.
