Light hearted
Natural materials, strategic facade design and
light-filled, open interiors ensure this family
home connects to its seaside setting
Previous pages: Clean-lined and
contemporary, with a base of natural
sandstone, this three-level family
home by Giles Tribe Architects has
sliding shutters on the front facade
that provide shade and privacy.
Above: The double-height entry hall
includes a skylight and a cantilevered
stone circulation stair. The travertine
stair is juxtaposed with a wall of
horizontal American oak cladding
and a vertical timber screen on the
upper level.
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A strategic early move can open the way for
an expressive house design that meets all the
needs of its owners. For this home, by Mark
Broadley of Giles Tribe Architects, digging the
garage in partly underground paved the way for
light-filled spaces and great connections above.
The owners’ brief for this coastal home was
to connect with the relaxed Bondi beachside feel
and provide a flexible environment for them
and their growing children, says Broadley.
“The couple wanted the home to be casual,
fresh and modern, but the brief was otherwise
pretty open. With the expansive garage – a must
in parking-starved Bondi – set underneath we
then had free rein with the architecture above.”
The home is in a stepped form providing for
several corner windows upstairs and downstairs
that face in the direction of the limited sea views.
Sliding screens add visual interest to the facade
and bring control over the sun and privacy.
While the main body of the home is finished
in smooth render, the base and raised garden
wall has random ashlar stone cladding – echo-
ing the local sandstone cliffs and outcrops.
Enduring, low-upkeep materials were chosen
to offer long-term performance in the rugged