Residential | Yuin | Rosedale NSW
A coastal refuge in a tough environment
Copper Ribbon House
A robust and friendly house for quiet times and for rowdy times.
Challenge
The original house on this site was burnt down on the first day of 2020, one of the many lost in the epic bushfires of that summer. Any rebuild needed to respond to that ongoing and proven risk, and to the tough coastal environment of the cliff edge. The clients also wanted a house that was easy to maintain and easy to live in.
Response
The Copper Ribbon House celebrates resilience. It is robust concrete structure wrapped in a corrugated copper ribbon that is inert in the face of the salted air and will gain a greenish patina over time, further harmonising it within its landscape context. Internally, the colour palette reflects the coastal setting of sand underfoot, joinery that reflects the spotted gums around it, wet areas the colour of the ocean. A single batch of recycled blackbutt timber is used for windows reveals, shelving, beds, the dining table, benches, kitchen trolley and coat racks.
The plan of the house pivots around a double-height tiled teardrop shaped column, that splits the two elements of the house and brings the view of the ocean through to the front door.
“We are just amazed at the magic of a well designed space, it works well when there are two of us and equally as well when there are 10 or more. The space feels so much bigger than it actually is.
Our favourite thing is stepping through the front door and being greeted with wonderful views of the beach and all those at play in the surf, it is a delight every single time.
What a treat, a copper ribbon around the house, one of the many ideas put to us that we fell in love with. The team understood us and delivered an exceptional result well beyond our expectations.”
Client
Project Team
Lee Hillam, Callum Andrews, Jonathan Temple, Matthew Damour-Paul, Stephanie Chiu
Builder
Smith and Primmer Builders
Structural Engineer
John Carrick
Hydraulic Engineer
Southeast Engineering + Environmental
Surveyor
Conway Burrows + Hancock
Photography
Katherine Lu