Coomera House

Gold Coast, Australia

This new home in the Gold Coast suburbs provides flexibility and privacy for a family with three teenage children.

With sensitivity to the shifting needs of a family with children soon to be young adults, the home has been designed to allow for a variety of family interaction modes. This approach also allows changes over time, as the children (and parents) desire greater independence and personal privacy.

An open kitchen / dining / living space forms the heart of the home, creating a central hub for the whole family to gather. Two adjoining wings to the front and rear of the site accommodate parents and children respectively. Built to the setback limits, the home encloses a north facing private courtyard.

At the front of the site, a small elevated garden is accessible only from the parents' wing, providing an escape from the main house plus important visual connection to the street and neighbourhood. Additionally, a small home office is accessible from the front, ensuring privacy for the remainder of the home.

At the rear of the property, bedrooms for the children have been kept small but practical. Savings in floor area are utilised in generous lounge and study spaces, which connect into a small rear courtyard — a place for rowdy or secret play.

These shared areas, along with the single bathroom, require that siblings negotiate and interact, instilling important family values and lifelong bonds. Conversely, each bedroom is given a 'front door' onto the central courtyard, providing individual identity for each occupant.

Entry and circulation spaces are treated as screened outdoor decks, reducing internal floor area and addressing the local climate. Overheating from western sun is buffered and on hot summer nights all rooms can be left open to access breezes, whilst maintaining security.

Project
Coomera House

Location
Gold Coast, Australia

Status
Pending