Clontarf Home Design

Our clients Eric and Jackie have a near perfect site with views from Balmoral to the Spit. The only catch is that the view faces west, a difficult direction for sunlight control. To protect the house from excessive heat gain in summer, the employment of more sun control measures than usual were taken.

A single storey entry from the street opens to the three levels of living space on the western elevation. A series of deep staggered verandahs and screens shade the glazing on this façade, controlling the difficult solar situation. The occupants of the house are thus allowed to take in the view in the comfort of the shade.

The living room, dining room and kitchen are located on the top floor at street level, the deep shade structure incorporates a large balcony making it possible for these rooms to expand into an outdoor living space even in the summer heat. Below this level are the bedrooms, study and guest room. The bathrooms and stair are housed within a heavy masonry service core and all the other rooms are connected to this central spine. Beneath the garage is a generously sized office space with its own sunny courtyard carved out of the hill.

The functional nature of the shade structures does not detract from the form or aesthetics of the building. The heavily modelled façade presents a sentinel on the escarpment silently sitting, watching the movements of Middle Harbour below.