Coalcliff House by Richards Stanisich rebuilds a 1970s weatherboard home beneath the Illawarra escarpment—an area characterised by radiata pines and its ocean-side location.
Architect and practice director Jonathan Richards explains that the main residence required a second floor for the main bedroom as well as an art studio, study and living area. A free open space with strong natural daylight that looks out onto a large garden with a meandering path to the ocean.
There’s an easiness to the home due to its coastal location, underpinned by some very serious infrastructure. “To build further on the site, there was substantial piling and excavation” says Richards. Reinforced and extended, the main A-frame residence is for a couple and their dogs while the adjoining single level A-frame is home to the couple’s uncle. Responsive to context, the charred timber cladding on the exterior is also fire-rated and has since become a favourite element of the architecture.
“I love the idea of a recessive building, perched in the trees—a black timber clad shell with a warm natural timber interior. It’s cabin-like, almost accidentally. A quality that became apparent when photographing the project.” Another favourite is having this secondary structure that is pared back. The difference between the two parts of the project, the main house and the simplicity of Unc’s (or uncle’s) house with a monochromatic plywood-lined interior with tiled benches and one chair and one lamp. This is something the practice enjoyed bringing to life.
