Elandra Housing, Bundeena



Elandra Housing, Bundeena 0

Elandra Housing, Bundeena 1

Elandra Housing, Bundeena 2

Elandra Housing, Bundeena 3

Elandra Housing, Bundeena 4

 If there is anything worse than an endless vista of McMansions marching across the hills, it's an endless strip of cookie-cutter homes sullying an otherwise picturesque stretch of coastline. Now, wandering along Hastings Beach, in the hilly scrub of the Royal National Park near Bundeena, one might just stumble across fifteen beach houses of the Elandra Housing Project, not that one would ever instinctively categorise them as such. Tony Owen Partners designed each of these homes as a separate stand-alone luxury designer house, so that one sees a small gathering of aesthetically refined, timber-clad rural homes: hardly a 'housing development' in the common sense of the word. That said, some level of design consistency was crucial, so that the new homes look as inconspicuous as possible, and don't detract from the intimate, undeveloped charm of the sheltered coastal town. As such, the fifteen houses are grouped into three distinct phases, corresponding to the topography and shape of each site.

The design for the steepest sites is Stage 1: the 'Crossover House', with living rooms located in an east/west oriented top floor, and the bedrooms in a north/south plane on the lower storey, underneath the upper north-facing balcony, and cantilevered swimming pools. This allows the house to sit easily on the slope, maximising beach access from the lower storey, and solar access to the upper. Raised upon lightweight timber poles to accommodate the slope, the buildings have only the slightest physical and environmental presence. The interplay of overlapping cantilevered balconies references a rugged projection of cliffs. And indeed the steepness of the site becomes even more apparent when one considers that entry is gained via raised timber walkways trailing down into the rear of each volume from the garage above. Stages 2 and 3 will play out as a variation or riff on this foundational theme, taking shape as a timber box with a portal element. Each house will of course vary slightly, depending on the available sunlight and differently framed views of each distinctive site.

Considering that Bundeena is in the National Park, but only a stone's throw away from Sydney, the aesthetic style is 'design-conscious city-dweller' tending towards eco-inconspicuous. This means clean, contemporary lines, and natural cladding materials that fit into the surroundings, creating what the architects call "a house where a water tank would not look out of place". And indeed it would not: all the homes have water tanks installed, and have recycled water systems integrated into the plumbing.

Bundeena is in the National Park, so the town itself cannot expand. There is no risk of succumbing to the perils of mega-development urban sprawl. Even obtaining approval for these 15 new homes was a close call: other proposals for 42 units had already been promptly rebuffed, and in the end, only the most moderate, sensitive masterplan was able to secure approval from council and the local community. And there is no exaggeration in saying the site still has a bushland feel. Not only were many of the established trees preserved, but a resident family of deer remained throughout the construction stage, and still roam up and down the slopes now. The sites are populated with well-established Banksia and Melaleuca trees, and much care has been taken in studying and codifying the intrinsic native flora. The landscape concept, by Context Designs, continues across all of the lots, creating a seamless sense of space across the project, and beyond into the surrounding bushland. +


 

1. Supporting poles create a visual contradiction: raising the dramatic volumes off the sloping ground, and also minimising environmental impact. 2. The new homes do not intrude on the pristine coastal National Park environment: many established trees were maintained, and native landscape design incorporated. 3. Front view of the Stage 1 "Crossover houses" at twilight. 4. Extensive glazing is arranged so as to accommodate the solar access and prevailing views of each lot. 5. Each home features an open deck that capitalises on the shifting sunlight and views over Hastings Beach.

PHOTOGRAPHY by Brett Boardman