How do you design a house to embrace the water and warm climate?

For a site in Western Australia, we were tasked with designing a family house for a young family which embraces the canals and ocean. Wrapping the house around an infinity pool, the design visually and physically connects with the outdoors, taking advantage of the excellent Australian weather.

Designed as an extension of the landscape, the architecture stretches out horizontally to wrap around a centrally located swimming pool. The design ensures all rooms have direct access to the outdoors, allowing the building to become immersed in the landscape.

The house is designed around a double storey foyer which acts as the central element of the design. Greeting the inhabitants with a picture window which faces towards the ocean, the foyer pivots around the swimming pool to tie the two elements together.

Glass enclosed walkways lead from the foyer towards the two sides of the house. Designed as a gallery like space with the landscape garden as the artistic exhibit, the walkways bring in nature while moving around the house.

Conceived of as the activity centre of the house, the game room at the end of the walkway features sliding doors which open to both the outdoor garden as well as the swimming pool. This room takes full advantage of the warm Australian weather to bring the garden in as part of the house.

On the upper storey is the kitchen and dining room. Through an open kitchen design, the dining room spatially connects with the living room to create a free flowing space which ends in another sliding door with views towards the ocean, allowing the space to be used as one.