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Australian Beach Shack Reborn as a Bright and Breezy Cottage

copperclad-houzz

A tranquil home with a copper exterior lets in ocean air, sunlight and greenery on a challenging site.

Copper House
Photo by Takt | Studio for Architecture

The owner had lived for years in a 1830s cottage in need of serious repair in a densely populated beachside suburb of Sydney, Australia. Although his cottage was dark, cold in winter and hot in summer and lacked cross-ventilation, he deeply valued its seclusion, serenity and proximity to the beach and city. The original plan was for an extensive renovation, but with the house’s deteriorated condition, this was just not viable. Instead, he and his designers embarked on a philosophical and logistical journey to create a new home on the long, sloping, narrow site. The result, called the Copper House, is a tranquil and open small home that resourcefully welcomes the ocean air, sunlight and greenery.

Copper House
Photo by Takt | Studio for Architecture

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: The owner leases the Copper House to tenants
Location: Coogee, New South Wales, Australia
Size: 645 square feet (60 square meters); 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom

Architect Brent Dunn of Takt l Studio for Architecture says the concept of “one’s place in time” was central to the Copper House.

The owner, Dunn and co-designer Katharina Hendel were friends and had talked informally about the practical considerations of transforming the home. They also had spoken about subtler themes, Dunn says, such as “patterns and rituals of living, dialogue between longevity and decay, and quality of space and place: how spaces shape people as much as the other way around.”

Designs for a new build got underway, working to the challenges of a long narrow sloping site (183 feet long and 20 feet wide) with limited access.

The initial plan was for a two-bedroom vacation home with bathroom, laundry and combined kitchen-living area, access to views and a sense of the original cottage’s calm and tranquility.

It sounds simple, but “a lot of historical research was undertaken to explore the history of the unique old cottage, to help us find an appropriate contemporary expression,” Dunn says.

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