Point King residence is a modern beach house located on a cliff top in Victoria, Australia. Hassel Studio architects and the owners wanted to integrate this quite large scale building to the natural environment. Therefore more aspects had to be taken into account, like the site, the orientation, the materials, to name just a few. The shape of the house is that of rectangular boxes with timber slats and glass facades. The ground floor anchors the house to the ground, while the second floor cantilevers towards the sea like a light, floating object. The architects take advantage of the sloping terrain to actually hide the house from sight from the direction of Point King and the Mornington Peninsula. The whole house sits almost two meters below the ground level on one side, but dominates the beach and the sea from the other. Local materials such as limestone and wood contribute to making this house part of the surroundings. The house is divided into three areas: shared, private and living. The owners wanted to be able to bring family and friends together while still enjoying their privacy, and this spatial planning responds to their needs. The rooms are generously sized and benefit from natural light and spectacular views through the big windows. The materials used for decorating the inside of the house are in line with the exterior, as the owners wanted to ground the house both physically and figuratively.
The color of the wooden slats of the facade will change in time from brown to grey, like the trunks of the trees that grow next to the house. The limestone base relates to its provenance from a nearby quarry.
The living room is meant to be shared, with big and cozy couches, high seating around the kitchen island and a marble top dining table. There is an additional living room in the owners’ private area of the house.
The floor to ceiling glass sliding doors with minimal frames open up the space towards the exterior, creating a nice feeling of indoors-outdoors tropical lifestyle. Located in one corner of the house, the master bedroom has cornering glass walls that makes you feel like you can dip your feet into the ocean straight from the room.
