Cape Schanck House
Sitting high on its sloping site, Cape Schanck House captures panoramic ocean views. Crafted by mckimm, the holiday home is both anchored and protected by the natural landscape.
Located just 90 minutes from Melbourne, Cape Schanck House serves as a coastal retreat. From its secluded site residents enjoy views across The National Golf Club and out to the ocean beyond. “The area is known for its steep slopes and challenging topography,” says Danica Garizio, director at mckimm. “We wanted to work in harmony with it. The site is tucked away behind native Australian vegetation and the topography adds to the sense of shelter.” Its thoughtful position is integral to the home’s ability to balance privacy with expansive outlooks. The rolling hills become buffers, lending comfort to outdoor entertaining areas that are oriented towards the view; these include a pool, living area and barbecue zone.
For Grange Pools, Cape Schanck House embodies their most difficult and rewarding project to date. The steep, sandy terrain meant that all materials required for the making of the pool had to be mechanically transferred without damage. “There is a ground floor, but the pool lies on level one,” says Daniel Price, founder of Grange Pools. “We used board piers to support a freestanding structure – formed well before the house was ready for completion – that sits 1200 millimetres out of the ground. This elevation allows the side of the pool to act as a safety barrier so that there is no need for additional materials obstructing the view.” Fully automated, the pool can be heated according to the season. Its modern form coheres with the style of the house, while its dark ceramic tiles enable a strong reflection of the surrounding scene.
The calm and still character of Cape Schanck House owes largely to its materiality. “The design intent was to select materials that complemented the landscape and vegetation,” says Garizio. “Dark-toned timber is championed throughout and inspires the other interior elements.” In the living, kitchen and dining area, the timber clads the underside of a wave roof, emphasising the generous height of the room and echoing the shape of a hill. Full-height glazing promotes the landscape view while a highlight window offers an alternate angle towards the sky. The combination of the timber and glazing represents a continuation of the outdoors, enhancing the experience of place.
A celebration of its surroundings, Cape Schanck House prioritises views from indoors and out. Maximising the potential of a challenging site, mckimm created ample opportunities to embrace coastal living.
Architecture, interior design and build by mckimm. Landscape design by COS Design. Engineering by Measure Engineering. Pool by Grange Pools.
