Casual Costal Living - Alexander by DKO

Located in Manly, Alexander by DKO emphasises casual beachside living through a strong connection to the external environment. Sitting in one of the suburb’s leafiest streets, the modern home enjoys optimal views to the surrounding areas, maximising the cross-flow of natural breezes from its elevated position.

Alexander’s material palette draws inspiration from the history of the surrounding area, whilst raw materials provide a contemporary architectural form, blurring the lines between casual and formal life. A long horizontal concrete form with chamfered edges is clad in breeze-admitting passive timber shading devices and bands of glazing that invite views of the carefully curated greenery.

Responding to its coastal location, the house is defined by a timber-lined ceiling extending to the soffit and polished concrete floors, creating a series of seamless spaces flowing onto each other, from open to closed, informal to formal, refined and robust all at the same time. Open-plan living spaces spill out to the outdoor living and pool areas on the ground floor, blurring the line between outside and inside, emphasising the garden outlook, natural light-filled spaces and the modern house’s connection to its environment.

A large oversized island bench is the meeting point of the home, with streamlined kitchen and living room joinery connecting the living spaces. Ancillary spaces are tucked away into the core of the building, allowing maximum natural light to the living spaces. As a modern house, the concrete stair is a sculptural presence that sweeps upwards, binding the living spaces to the bedrooms and bathrooms on level one, where the external timber screens add ventilation and ever-changing shadows within. In the basement, a wine cellar, laundry, utility and theatre room provide technical support to the rest of the house.