Myalup Beach House

Project Info

Residential Build

Myalup Beach House is located in Regional NSW, on Fig Tree Hill Red Head facing north, overlooking Diamond Beach and the Three Brothers ranges on the Mid North Coast. This is the first time we have undertaken a project of this size. We worked closely with the clients who wanted to incorporate their international backgrounds to create a sophisticated & functional beach house.

The clients required seamless inside/outside living, future proofing for disability access, large semi cantilevered decks, clean lines and high quality finishes throughout. We maintained a high regard for the clients budget and building timeframes.

The client wanted to minimise visual obstructions to the magnificent north facing beach and mountain views, which meant extensive use of structural steel to achieve semi cantilevered balconies and clear spans. This caused limitations for the running of services and required adjusting the suspended ceilings and co-ordination of electrical, plumbing, air conditioning and data home automation trades.

We used three variations of the same concrete mix to create the seamless transition from inside to outside
living, exposed aggregate for the driveway and entry, polished concrete for the downstairs floor space
leading out to honed concrete for the patio and pool surrounds, requiring close liaison with structural
engineers.

The clients desire to futureproof for disability access on the ground floor required accurate floor levels when
transitioning between the polished concrete and travertine tiles as well as inside/outside living. We
implemented flush door tracks to avoid "toe kickers". The clean lines, symmetry and sharp angles allowed no room for error.

We had to use 3 different cladding substrates, namely HEBEL power panel, EPS and texture base sheets to achieve the required thermal insulation and loading on cantilevered balconies. This required much forward planning beyond the scope of the architectural drawings, to achieve a seamless, rendered transition between these substrates. The white rendered exterior was complimented by the use of reclaimed Jarrah and we sourced West Australian Karri decking for the fence to match with the clients 100 year old teak farm gate and the reclaimed Jarrah.

The client did not want to use strip drains on the balconies which required a creative solution for drainage utilising the travertine tiles and creating extensive plumbing works to ensure no leaks. All the bathrooms (floors to ceiling) and balconies are tiled with travertine, approximately 200 square metres. The clients were very particular with regard to the layout and quality of the tiling.

Attention to detail was continued throughout using suspended ceilings to create recessed pelmets for the
blinds, recessed skirting boards, travertine tiles throughout wet areas and lift, use of reclaimed timbers for handrails and bar area.

Installing a four level lift on a budget was a challenge and procured from a local lift manufacturer Harwell in
Gloucester, the only Australian lift manufacturer. In addition to installing a lift for accessibility, we were
required to come up with a creative solution to reinforce ceilings in the downstairs bedroom and ensuite to allow for installation of a track and pulley system/hoist between rooms.

This was one of the most challenging projects that we’ve undertaken and we were really happy with the outcome as were the clients.