Great Ocean Road Residence

Great Ocean Road Residence is a home built for the future.

The brief was to create a home-away-from-home for a growing family which would serve their family for generations. Sited on a unique clifftop position along the Victorian coastline, the residence was designed to embrace its dramatic surrounds and withstand its harsh marine environment, through practical ingenuity and a timeless aesthetic quality.

The land is within a reserve and a conservation precinct, bordering a national park, and it is visible from several coastal look-out points. The residence is strategically positioned to afford the best possible views in three directions: towards the majestic Eagle Rock, along the cliff faces above one of Australia’s most iconic surf breaks, and back to the iconic Split Point Lighthouse.

The land also informed the building’s elemental and architectural intent. With geometric forms, clean lines, solid masonry walls and a floating roof that sits gently above, the residence sits stoically atop and is embedded within the cliff. While it affords a naturally commanding position, the residence does not dominate but rather complements the landscape.

The nearby lighthouse is such a prominent public attraction, low-reflective zinc was used as cladding to reduce glare and to protect from coastal corrosion. Northern outdoor living areas are protected from the strong sea winds, while coastal plants and canopy trees surround the house for privacy.

Within the residence, two axial pathways anchor the design and push views out towards the coast. Combining wide corridors and high cantilevered ceilings, the interiors balance grand proportions with a quiet beauty; the solid construction provides silence against the winds, while the continuity of stone from the outside in ties the building to the cliff.

Deep geothermal piles provide stability and a long-term power supply. Other sustainability principles include solar access, solar shading, thermal massing, and geothermal heat exchange systems to reduce energy consumption and promote the life span of the residence.

Set within a spectacular setting, Great Ocean Road Residence has been created to last. This residence heralds a new chapter for the family, and for the future of intelligent Australian coastal design.