Architectural Ingenuity – Dromana House by Core Collective

Core Collective’s Dromana House can be found rising from the hillside in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. A strikingly sleek simple steel form that nods to post-war architecture, the home offers uninterrupted views over Port Phillip Bay.

A testament to architectural ingenuity, the home sits on slender steel framework with an impressively cantilevered terrace that gestures toward the magnificent views beyond. Working within the constraints of a rugged coastal urban area, Core Collective creates a series of private interior and exterior spaces that capture the view while offering protection from the elements.

A strikingly sleek simple steel form that nods to post-war architecture, the home offers uninterrupted views over Port Phillip Bay.

Describing the initial design stages of the project, founding director and lead architect Ryan Starting explains, “the design approach to this project was relatively straightforward. Aside from meeting the client’s desires, we needed to be responsive to the site. This meant working with the steep fall of the ground, an initial hurdle, but the result [is worthwhile]– a cantilevered single-storey dwelling that takes advantage of the spectacular water views. Due to the coastal location, there was a strong focus on balancing durable materials, such as corrugated and weathering steel with natural ‘warm materials’ like spotted gum.”

The essential priority in the design was to maximise the outlook from as many rooms as possible. The living, dining and kitchen area is located central to the plan, so in order to achieve a view from all spaces within this zone “we incorporated a stepped floor so that the outlook is visible from the kitchen cooking area which can be viewed over the lower living space. We also included pop-out angled windows and widened windows on the water view side to take full advantage of the location,” Ryan says. To assist with natural interior lighting, a generous skylight has been placed centrally, flooding the home with northern sun.

During the design, the clients took the opportunity to extend the water view even further by adding full-height sliding doors on either side of the living area and opening up to the adjoining bedrooms – not only dramatically enhancing the field of view but seamlessly connecting the central living space with the outdoors. However, this offered its own set of challenges. “While trying to expand the views, we had to be mindful of privacy,” Ryan explains. “Neighbouring houses are quite close to all the rooms, as well as to the outdoor terrace. To alleviate this, we designed angled rusted steel louvre screens which block the views to and from the neighbours, while opening up to the water views – giving us the best of both worlds.”

To assist with natural interior lighting, a generous skylight has been placed centrally, flooding the home with northern sun.

Another design consideration was the impact of the coastal environment on the exterior materials, structure and landscaping. Durable, low-maintenance materials were selected, with weathering steel applied on all façades including the garage door, screened clothes drying area and fixed window screens. The front door has been recessed to provide rain and wind protection but is lined with spotted gum to create a warm and inviting entry point to the home. A similar approach was taken to the landscaping, with the generous street frontage planted with indigenous, drought-tolerant coastal species to withstand the capricious climate.

The site posed many potential difficulties, but the finished project resolves these challenges with grace. As Ryan concludes, “the outlook over Port Phillip Bay is extraordinary and it is so satisfying to see that as a result of the design, it can be appreciated from almost every room.”