A beachside home on a narrow block

Architect Paul Odden has designed an innovative beachside family home for a narrow section, creating a light-filled, contemporary home design.

This beachside home in Cottesloe, Western Australia, has been created to make the best possible use of a small, narrow block in the design. Owners Charlie and Alison wanted to build a reasonably sized family home that would take advantage of the views over the water, the natural light and the sea breezes.

They met with architect Paul Odden, of Optimum Resource Architects, whose work they had encountered at a photographic exhibition for the local architecture industry awards. "He took us to see a few houses he had designed," says Alison. "We immediately felt an affinity for his work. We loved the clean, simple lines of the houses, the open nature of the rooms and the very practical design of the living spaces."

The section's size and dimensions presented the biggest challenge for Paul, but one that he successfully overcame. The narrow block house design makes the most of the northern exposure, crucial for letting winter sun into the home, while the western street elevation is relatively open to allow access to the beautiful beach views.

The striking exterior of the house, with its angled roof and smooth, curved edges, has been executed in Colorbond Custom Orb 'Surfmist' metal sheeting, sand cement rendered masonry and polycarbonate sheeting, providing a contemporary, streamlined look. The interior floors are of polished concrete and American oak, and the windows and front doors are aluminium framed.

The couple are thrilled with the highly liveable dwelling Paul has designed, especially as it allows everyone in the family their own space, despite the design constraints of the narrow section. "The polished concrete floors work particularly well, as they are easy to maintain and are surprisingly warm in winter," says Alison. "Paul also helped us with interior design, and sourced some great furniture and fittings to complement the modern design of the house."

Paul Odden, from Optimum Resource Architects

What were you trying to achieve with this design?

We were aiming to create a family home that not only responded to our client's needs, but which also responded to the local environment and to the site - a reasonably narrow block of land.

What were some of the challenges you encountered during the design process?

The narrow east-west block design presented several challenges. Besides fitting the dwelling onto the site, we had to maximise the northern exposure for winter sun while not overlooking the neighbour. The site had two street elevations that needed addressing; the western elevation had to maximise the views and the eastern elevation had to be a more compact entry into the house.

Which part of the design do you think works particularly well?

I think the planning worked particularly well; we put a lot of time into making sure the design suited the client, the site and the overall idea of the house.

Is there anything you would have done differently in retrospect?

There are always little things that could have been done differently, but we are very happy with the overall outcome.

Why did you choose to take on this project?

It was an interesting site, despite being a narrow block, and the clients were enthusiastic about the opportunities it presented.

Alison, the homeowner

What was your vision for this house?

We realised it was not going to be an easy project, as the block is small and narrow, putting a constraint on design possibilities, but we hoped to create a good-sized family home that would make the most of the beachside views, sea breeze and sun for natural lighting.

Did you have much input into the design?

We knew Paul's work, so when it came to our house, after a discussion of our wants, we were happy to leave it up to him.

Which aspect of the new house do you love the most?

We love it all. It's a very practical house that's easy to live in. We have two teenage boys and we all seem to have our own spaces. The house is open to the beautiful views and the many glass doors can be opened up to enjoy the outside and allow the breezes to blow through on a hot day.

Is there anything you would change about the process if you were to go through it again?

No; we are very happy with the outcome and really enjoy living here.

Find a local architect to help with your home design and planning in Australia (narrow block or otherwise!):