Located in the coastal town of Bundeena, Australia, the Elandra project consists of 15 independent beach houses set in a bushy natural environment. Each house was conceived by Tony Owen Architects as if it were a standalone designer house, and they all have beautiful sea views. Surrounded by a national park, Bundeena is a unique holiday setting easily accessible from Sydney. The design is that of a cross-over house, with the two floors oriented in perpendicular directions. The volumes overlap in one point, and then the top floor cantilevers dramatically towards the sea, overs the bushy hill. The top floor is oriented east-west and contains the day area of the house, with open plan kitchen and living room. The flat roof of the ground floor module serves as a large terrace protected by a transparent glass balustrade, in order not to cut the view on the sea and surroundings. The southern facade of this floor that overlooks the sea is completely glazed, and the western side has large sliding glass doors that open to the terrace. The ground floor is oriented north south, so all bedrooms benefit from sea views. Every bedroom has access to a communal balcony running lengthwise and allowing the occupants to admire the view freely.
The two floor “boxes” are treated differently in facade. The top box is clad in thin horizontal wood planks, while the bottom box’s thick frame is simply painted white. The third main material, present in windows, doors and balustrades.
The design is conceived in order to impact minimally the natural environment. Bushes and native trees such as Banksia and Melaleuca are largely preserved, so the houses are surrounded by abundant vegetation.
In the living room, the fireplace wall is covered with stones in different shapes and sizes, giving it a very natural look and texture. The interior design is cozy, with warm and sunny colors and materials.
