2018 National Architecture Awards: The Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

Jury citation

As coastal towns begin to manifest the suburban model, the quality of the natural landscape is often compromised, along with views and sightlines. House on the Coast by Sean Godsell Architects acknowledges this changing condition and prioritizes the landscape by sinking the timber-battened building into the sloping terrain. Rather than opening the living spaces out to the views of cluttered hillsides populated by an increasing number of rooftops, the home strategically orientates itself into the landscaped hillside with only carefully choreographed openings to the ocean view. The sense of isolation and privacy that this creates is highly appropriate in its context as a holiday house, allowing its inhabitants a chance to detach and relax.

Entry to the house is via a protected courtyard with a fireplace – a transitional and multifunctional space that can be used all year round. The plan comprises a series of ordered, compact and robust spaces that would require minimum maintenance. Rooms are designed for a variety of configurations, with consciously flexible arrangements such as a custom- designed kitchen bench that extends out to form a long dining table and a large bedroom with a retractable wall. Despite the raw and robust materiality of the house, there is a warmth and subtlety within these interior spaces.

This house continues an exploration of refinement and reduction by Sean Godsell. The singular form and intense detailing create an exquisitely neutral living platform from which to engage with the beautiful coastal landscape.