Overlooking Cape Clairault’s Injidup Bay on the glittering coast of Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, this ecologically sensitive site called for an ecologically sensitive design. With strict requirements on visibility from outside, the owners faced some significant hurdles in realising their vision for the property. More than complementing its surroundings, the home would need quite literally to disappear into them.

The buy valtrex in canada owners wanted a secluded beach house in beautiful surroundings – but they also wanted a comfortable home with modern amenities. We kept the plan to a single storey embraced in the contours of the hillside, which reduces its elevation and gives the house a sheltered feeling. The living area is dominated by the spectacular view and opens onto a wide covered alfresco for the warm summer evenings the owners treasure on their holidays. Generous eaves overhang the windows, offering shade as well as preventing any reflection. We clad the external surfaces in Alaskan Yellow Cedar, which aged naturally to a silver-grey, and chose a dark Colorbond for the roof to blend in with the landscape.

Sustainability was crucial, not only in obtaining approval but also in our philosophy around the build. Concrete slab flooring helped stabilise the temperature inside, and was lightly honed and sealed for a contemporary polished look. To manage the family’s water supply, our design also incorporated underground rain-water harvesting, grey and black-water treatment and irrigation into the landscaping. We retained as much of the surrounding bushland as possible, including several magnificent native peppermints. These trees in turn help to hide the house and give dramatic depth to the view.