Common Good

The coastal walk from Coogee to Bondi, passing Clovelly, Bronte and Tamarama, is one of the most popular and beautiful walks in Sydney – and the houses facing this walk are some of the most coveted. Architect Luke Moloney’s brother and sister-in-law bought a one-storey bungalow in Clovelly, which is part of the local scenic foreshore protected area. The bungalow was in a somewhat ruinous state, and cold, dark and damp inside. The couple engaged Luke to design a modest two-storey house, maintaining the existing structure as much as possible. “The brief was to make it comfortable, economical and sustainable,” says Luke.

When these old coastal houses are bought, they are often demolished and replaced with buildings that maximise outlook and internal space. Needless to say, neighbours were apprehensive about the development. “Houses around here typically max out the site and the view. We deliberately didn’t do that because it’s cheaper to do less, and the neighbours would lose sunlight and view,” Luke says. “We did something more modest and that’s what makes the house stand out. It’s both conspicuous and inconspicuous in that way.”

In addition to wanting to be a polite neighbour, the house is exposed to prevailing winds, passing onlookers and the windows of adjacent buildings. The challenge was therefore to design something that felt private, protected and comfortable.

Luke utilised the existing walls and footprint of the bungalow, which helped keep the house economical and sustainable and meant the setback could be maintained. He added a second storey with a gable to limit overshadowing of adjacent sites and minimise the impact on neighbours’ views. The gable roof is also an archetypal domestic form that suggests familiarity and comfort.

The entrance is down the side of the house with bedrooms and bathrooms on the ground floor and living spaces on the first floor. The kitchen, dining and living area face the coast and are in a tunnel-like space that creates a sense of enclosure, focuses attention on the view and provides privacy for the family and neighbours. There are two small openings on the side walls (at the top of the stairs and in the pantry) and the end is glass that accentuates the outlook and the shape of the gable roof. The 4.7-metre-high pitched ceiling increases the spaciousness without being overpowering, and operable skylights bring in northern light and promote cross ventilation. “When you open the louvres downstairs the sea breeze comes up to naturally ventilate the house,” says Luke. A screen on the skylight above the kitchen filters the light and creates shifting patterns across the walls throughout the day.

High-performance glazing regulates solar heat gain and the impact of the wind, and the roof extends over the balcony to shade the first floor in summer. A strategic cutout on the south side of the balcony frames a view of the horizon, while blocking out the neighbouring apartment. “It’s a way of playing with the most striking feature of the house – the view – but still screens off the adjacent outdoor terrace,” Luke describes.

Family friend Sarah-Jane Pyke, principal of interior design firm Arent&Pyke, selected the materials and finishes, keeping the interior light and pared-back. The blackbutt flooring and white ceiling, walls and joinery create a calm and serene space, and helped deliver the project on time and to budget. The walnut joinery and grey-green marble benchtop on the kitchen island are rich and textural elements in the room, and the mirrored splashback amplifies space, light and the presence of the ocean.

Next to the kitchen, the powder room has sandy-coloured terrazzo tiles inspired by the beach setting. The family room at the rear of the house receives the western sun, which filters down the side of the interior in the late afternoon. The back façade has strong and simple geometric forms, as does the new garage with zig-zag roof. “It evokes the form of seaside bathing pavilions,” Luke says. “It enlivens the rear lane streetscape and makes a secondary structure worth a look.”

Luke limited the structural work downstairs, doing minimal internal wall changes to accommodate three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a laundry. The main bedroom is at the front of the house, looking out to the front terrace (with rainwater tanks underneath). The walk-in-robe and ensuite are behind the bedroom and the shower has a window that provides a view through the bedroom for the coastal outlook.

The house is not only comfortable and sustainable for the family, but has also been welcomed by neighbours and residents. “My brother and sister-in-law have been stopped and thanked and I can’t tell you how pleased I am that the neighbours have said ‘nice work.’ We set out to do something that met the brief, and were mindful of the community in which we were working. That matters when you are designing and building in a prominent place,” Luke says.