Avoca Beach House sits atop an east-facing crest, where the land gently divides Avoca Lake from the Pacific Ocean.
Perched between the land and sea, the home is a sculptural composition of geometric forms, crafted from repurposed materials and nestled within a native garden that spills toward the sea.
A lifetime of collecting has informed the material palette. The custodians of the site have thoughtfully repurposed materials collected over a lifetime – recycled hardwoods, convict bricks, and sandstone blocks – each with its own story – woven through the house as flooring, decking, walling, cabinetry, and tiling.
Replacing a former modest beachside cottage, the new home reclaims its footprint and reintroduces a central north- facing courtyard as the heart of the plan. The original structure was spatially inefficient and structurally inadequate for the exposed coastal site. Its removal made way for a new, robust framework of exposed concrete floor plates and load- bearing brick and concrete walls engineered to withstand harsh climatic conditions while providing valuable thermal mass for year-round comfort.
These walls remain exposed internally, offering a raw material finish. Externally, they are insulated and clad in recycled timber and barestone fibre cement sheeting. Mill-finish brass balustrades and awnings have been left to patina and calcify naturally, deepening the home’s connection with longevity and place.
Clear circulation paths and improved spatial planning offer greater functionality across living and utility zones by enhancing natural light, cross-flow ventilation, and a strong connection to both the central courtyard and the broader coastal context. Passive solar design principles underpin the home’s environmental performance, with careful orientation, thermal mass, and natural ventilation reducing reliance on mechanical systems.
The result is a distinctive coastal home that is robust, expressive, and rich in character. It’s a place where materials are celebrated in their raw form, where history is embedded in every surface, and where the architecture is designed to age gracefully with its inhabitants and surroundings.
