Sometimes, we move mountains just to take real quick breathers from all the daily happenings. And when we do, we always find ourselves revel in the thought of going to the beach, long enough to catch a dance of colours in the sky while the sun dips slowly to meet the sea. Nothing, fancy. Just a real good nature play, perfect for a weekend retreat. Meanwhile, residents of the Sunset House by Peter Stutchbury Architects get this luxurious experience every day, with all the beach-side amenities within the midst of their living space.
Overlooking the Inyadda Beach and the Pacific Ocean, Sunset House is an adult retreat home that offers a robust palette of experiences, set to soothe anyone who’s been looking for a tranquil environment to relax in. After garnering the gold medal for the Australian Institute of Architects in 2015, Peter Stutchbury, together with his team led by Fernanda Cabral, sets their eye on another achievement with their recent nomination for the 2018 Houses Awards for the Sunset House Project in New House Under 200 m2.
Taking a closer look, the house incorporates the external spaces to the over-all living area to provide enough outdoor spaces regardless of the weather. While the house was originally a single-storey accommodation, the master bedroom is perched atop an elevated area at the eastern end.
The Sunset House has a package that of a perfectly-built vacation home, designed to shift your senses with breathtaking views. A contemporary mix of timber, concrete blocks, steel and glass give this residential masterpiece the advantage of looking effortless amongst the sandy hills while creating an impression of modernity with the surrounding details.
The hallways provide a zen ambiance with the use of beach pebbles to fill in the paved pathways, connecting one living area to another.
A discreet row of the skylight is opened adjacent to the pathway, allowing more natural light to flood through the entire space. Sunset House is cleverly designed to take advantage of the abundance of solar access that will create great significance in the overall energy consumption.
While the rest of the living space opens toward the vastness of the beach, some parts remain enclosed and private to secure a safer intimate environment that residents can fully enjoy. The master bedroom is located on the elevated portion of this single-storey house, creating a subtle division to provide more privacy from the rest of the areas.
The bedroom foyer is consistently paved by beach pebbles that surrounds the connecting hallways. However, taking a further step into the sleeping quarters gives you a whole new tale to tell. While most of us can only dream of getting a beachfront view straight from our bedroom, the Sunset House puts that dream into reality. Glass panels generous opens a magnificent view of the beach, giving the much-coveted luxury of waking up close to the sound of the waves and revel in a play of colours during sunset.
Sunset House is an elegant reminder of life’s true pleasantries- that no matter how much we move forward into modern times, simple joys remain in the humble, earthly places.
Photography by Michael Nicholson.
