Seaside Tranquillity – Portsea Surf Shack by Blair Smith Architecture

Positioned on a contained site, Portsea Surf Shack has been reworked to connect meaningfully to its coastal setting through a light and contemporary approach. Blair Smith Architecture focuses on the elements that ground the history of the home to its surrounds and layers a refined, textural series of gestures to further enliven the coastal residence.

Whilst the refurbished holiday shack evokes a familiar scene – one of laid-back and casual togetherness, where the pressures of urban life are lifted – the opportunity to live within a tightly knit beachside town was significant for the owners. Carrying coastal ideologies into a more permanent setting, the architects breathe new life into the existing 1950s home, transforming it from a temporary abode into a more grounded backdrop for daily rituals. Located in Portsea, a seaside town on the Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne, the focus for the residence was ensuring the calmness of the seascape beyond was brought into the dwelling. Through a refined and simplified approach, Blair Smith Architecture crafts and integrates natural elements to guide the reworking.

Carrying coastal ideologies into a more permanent setting, the architects breathe new life into the existing 1950s home, transforming it from a temporary abode into a more grounded backdrop for daily rituals.

Moved by the home’s original charm, the architect instils a similar yet more contemporary design to celebrate its past. The typical typology of coastal life is reinterpreted with great attention to detail, ensuring key connections to the surrounding elements remained. Inspired by the landscape, a humble process of introducing natural elements inside adds a sense of tranquillity and stillness. The subtle solidity of select materials and the absence of delicate features also imbues the house with a warm and welcoming character.

Close to well-known surf breaks, angling spots and the local pub, the home’s location allows the owners to be within reach of their favourite activities. The material palette reflects a coastal milieu yet has an inviting glow, which has been created using timber, neutral base tones and lime-based paint. The core elements of the residence feel connected to the nearby beaches and have a textural depth to them as light enters and dances across spaces. With easy ventilation and solar gain control, the home operates in a way that supports climatic comfort throughout the seasons. To live amid such an enviable natural landscape allows one the opportunity to bask in its beauty with ease.

Inspired by the landscape, a humble process of introducing natural elements inside adds a sense of tranquillity and stillness.

Though much of the home’s original features have been preserved and new elements are added with restraint, Surf Shack maintains its roots to the past whilst still embracing contemporary openness. Through this blending of eras, Blair Smith Architecture elevates the traditional and proposes a suitable seaside dwelling that can be repurposed as needed.