BONDI RESCUE

A challenging site in a dream destination where sky meets surf rides a life-enhancing wave into a brand-new way of being.

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Gifted a clean slate on which to build a new dwelling for a family in an enviable location, Madeleine Blanchfield of Madeleine Blanchfield Architects used the site’s limitations, such as extreme weather and proximity to heavily used public land, as inspiration to manifest an outstanding result. What was the brief? The house was a typical beachside semi-detached with its side fence running the length of Marks Park. The client had owned it for many years and engaged us to knock it down and rebuild.

The family of five with young children wanted to create a unique home and maximise the benefits of the site, its location and views. What were the challenges of the site and how did you resolve them? The greatest challenges were the narrowness of the site and the fact that it is attached to an old-style semi on one side. On the other hand there is an extraordinary 270-degree view from the upper level, so the challenge was worth taking on. Are there any particular considerations when designing a home in a coastal setting? The site is subject to extreme weather at times.