Only a quick ferry from Perth, Rottnest Island/Wadjemup is probably one of the crucial well-known vacation locations in Australia.
Visiting the island virtually seems like stepping again in time; it’s predominantly car-free, with a tiny inhabitants of residents and holidaymakers who trip bikes round to identify the quokkas, discover sandy white seashores, and swim in glowing waters crammed with marine life.
It was this sense of tranquillity that Philip Stejskal Structure’s shoppers wished to emulate of their new Cottesloe house.
The couple, an architect and librarian, beforehand lived on the neighbouring heritage cottage earlier than subdividing the land and shifting to a vacant 300-square-metre portion of the location.
‘They wished a house that felt harking back to their Rottnest holidays — relaxed, textural, sturdy and deeply linked to its environment,’ director Philip says.
It needed to be appropriately city, but really feel like a country seaside shack, full with altering views and loads of studying nooks and areas that will really feel totally different relying on the time of day or season.
The ensuing house combines a brick base that anchors the house and gives thermal mass, whereas a lighter painted fibre-cement ‘seaside shack’ quantity sits above.
It options an angular ground plan unfold throughout three ranges to maximise privateness and photo voltaic achieve, because the sturdy geometric roofline follows the autumn of the land.
‘The steep slope, twin avenue frontages and foot visitors created complexity, however we handled these as generative situations. Cautious siting, screening and collaboration with engineers and ESD [Ecologically Sustainable Development] consultants helped flip constraints into alternatives,’ Philip notes.
Externally, timber shutters and cutouts modulate privateness and handle solar publicity, because the rooftop photo voltaic panels, a water tank, and a warmth pump additionally assist the house’s low power consumption.
Along with the shoppers’ reminiscences of Rottnest, the island’s village-style collection of Nineteen Seventies villas designed by architect Gus Fergerson additionally served as inspiration for the interiors.
Cork flooring, bagged white brickwork, cathedral ceilings and timber detailing present a nostalgic heat. There’s a easy appeal to every area, adorned with ample built-in bookshelves and cosy corners for studying or quiet retreat.
For Philip, the roof terrace and its panoramic coastal views are a number of the standout moments. The ‘occupied touchdown’ is one other — an intimate, elevated nook that captures a stunning city view.
However above all, it’s the house’s calm ambiance and easy liveability, which makes every single day really feel like a vacation.
