St. Andrews Beach House by Austin Maynard Architects defiantly stands out amongst the growing trend of ostentatious, large second beach homes being built around Australia. With a desire to get back to the roots, the clients asked the architecture studio to design them a bach – a New Zealand term for rough and ready beach shacks built from found and recycled materials.
The beach house is a bit more than a shack, but it certainly pays tribute to the bach’s basic, down-to-earth concept. Located in a rough and secluded sandy terrain on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, the circular two-storey timber structure does away with corridors and walls. Each room blends into the next, creating an open and amiable space that encourages social interaction. A winding staircase leads to the two bedrooms that are separated by a curtain, each one offering fantastic views of the rugged landscape. Sustainability was high on the list of Austin Maynard Architects while building St. Andrews Beach House: solar panels, double-glazed windows and concrete water tanks that collect rainwater for reusing are all integrated into the home’s design.
Photography © Derek Swalwell