At Home in Bondi – Patterson Street by Nick Bell Architects
With a layout that invites movement inside and out, this North Bondi home by Nick Bell Architects responds to its climate. Abodo eco timber products are used throughout, lending a warm and inviting atmosphere as well as a sense of consistency to the home.
Situated just a stone’s throw from Bondi Beach, this home epitomises the laidback yet active ambience that goes hand-in-hand with the beachside lifestyle. The form of the home responds to surrounding buildings, allowing it to fit seamlessly with its neighbours, however, a modernistic yet timeless look is added through the sizes and shapes of window frames and linear divisions between cladding elements, which reflect the proportions of the golden ratio.
Inside, the layout blurs the boundaries between indoors and out, inviting enjoyment of the warm climate and beachside atmosphere. The open-plan living space rolls out through large sliding doors onto a terrace with operable louvres, making it useable in any weather. This connects to the in-ground pool, providing space to supervise children while remaining sheltered and closely connected to the house.
Abodo Vulcan weatherboards are used for interior ceilings as well as exterior cladding, lending a consistent look throughout the home.
The specification of Abodo Vulcan cladding is an important aspect of the home’s sustainability story, which was also at the core of the brief. Vulcan weatherboards are carbon negative, being made from thermally modified pine grown in FSC Certified forests in New Zealand. The process of thermal modification makes the timber extremely hardy, comparable to cedar or other old-growth timbers, but without the carbon cost of shipping across the world.
“The client was interested in achieving a high level of sustainability and, in line with that, Abodo made sense as a cladding material,” says Nick Bell. “This is due to both the FSC rating but also because of the stability of the timber and the fact it wouldn’t warp over time, which meant a high level of durability and less need to replace it and refinish it in years to come. Aesthetically it is also a beautiful addition to our calm material palette, especially juxtaposed against the concrete planters, evoking a relaxed beach vibe fitting with its surroundings in Bondi.”
“The client was interested in achieving a high level of sustainability and, in line with that, Abodo made sense as a cladding material,” says Nick Bell.
Inside, the same Abodo Vulcan weatherboards are used on the ceilings, lending a warmth that is accentuated by the dynamic form of the staircase. “The staircase is a focal point of the design. Along with the timber cladding on the ceiling and the concrete planters outside, we sought to uplift the whole design with key features while still keeping in line with the budget,” says Nick.
The architect’s careful consideration for materials was furthered by the use of locally sourced Tasmanian hardwood for the upstairs flooring, while downstairs, tiled flooring acts as a thermal mass for passive heating and cooling. Upstairs, the angled roofline gives a cosy feeling to the bedrooms, with clerestory windows providing natural light. Many elements of the home’s design were driven by a desire to make it as energy efficient as possible, such as operable louvres and awnings, as well as a solar array on the roof and rainwater tanks to collect run-off from the roof.
“The staircase is carefully designed to be a cost-effective, yet bold feature of the house. Along with the timber cladding on the ceiling and the concrete planters outside, we sought to uplift the whole design with these features while still keeping in line with the budget,” says Nick.
“We wanted the house to be cool in summer and warm in winter without excessive energy use,” says Nick. “The location, size and configuration of the solar panels over the roof were carefully planned to maximise solar gains. There is hydronic heating for warmth in winter and ducted cooling in summer, but the need for these is lessened by the highly insulated walls and ceilings and the use of PCM incorporated into external walls for thermal mass, as well as double glazed and thermally broken windows.”
Aside from maximising solar gain, the roofline allows the house to fit within the height limit for the site while still providing lofty interior spaces, which were a key element of the client brief. While not a large home in terms of floorspace, it is cleverly designed to allow for the future needs of the growing family, with allowances for office space to be incorporated into the living room and a downstairs bedroom for visitors that doubles as a second lounge space for the children. Fitting easily within the beachside suburb, with a palette that brings about the aesthetic of nearby boardwalks and beach structures, this is a home for living one’s best family life without leaving an unnecessary footprint on the natural environment.
