Coastal Connection – Courtyard Residence by Wolveridge Architects
Offering a sense of protection and retreat from within, Courtyard Residence is formed around its own series of open pavilions. Wolveridge Architects collaborates closely with an impassioned team to propose part of a series of coastal homes focusing on locality and elevating the traditional vernacular and response to context.
Located in Sorrento, on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, Courtyard Residence aims to capture the essence of the area as a coastal escape. Having grown in popularity, the need for contextually-driven architectural responses sees the slow replacement of the traditional timber weatherboard holiday homes with more anchored alternatives. As a collaboration between a local builder and developer, the resulting home forms part of a series of experiments to engineer replicable solutions that suit the location, climate and speak to a contemporary living condition. Together with Wolveridge Architects, the resolve combines an honest expression of materiality, textural rawness and a refined approach to detailing.
Built by Smith Builders and with landscape design by The Good Garden Co. and Point Nepean Landscaping, the form optimises the unique site, leaning into the undulations in the terrain. The cupping of open areas creates dedicated courtyard spaces, inspiring the home’s namesake, while also creating opportunities for the living areas to extend outward. A focus on inside and outside flow also reinforces a sense of place, while creating areas protected from the sea winds and natural elements when needed. Combining a quiet stillness, the soft and muted neutral palette creates a sense of calm and separation, while openings frame views out.
Imagined suiting a number of ages and groupings, the home is generously proportioned at and designed to expand and contract as needed. There are elements that allow the home to be portioned off or segregated, allowing a thermal concentration and the use of less energy for heating and cooling. The extensive use of rammed earth becomes a celebration of its composition, with markings and formwork left untouched as a reminder of process and of its coming together on site. Although crisp edges and concealed joinery and storage allude to a formality, the open nature of the home and the circulation capture a more casual and laidback heart.
Focusing on consistency and connection, Courtyard Residence opens generously both outward and inward. Wolveridge Architects brings a crafted and refined approach to the traditional coastal setting, creating a relaxed yet refined gathering place.
