Cake House

The underlying principles for the design of the Cake House was to prioritise resource efficiency, by re-using and celebrating materials in order to re-life a local cultural icon for the next generation.

Strategies included maximising the efficiency of the building form, floor area and operation. The merging of Passive House and Passive Design allowed us to create a home that can operate in a mixed mode scenario. It operates as 100% electric and Net Zero energy use (-7,000kWh/yr back to the grid) with an onsite PV system. The compact building, cleverly provides enough space for multiple generations to gather during the holidays and enjoy the surroundings. The Cake House has allowed us to explore opportunities for an "Australian Passive House building model" that focuses on a coastal Australian climate using locally made recycled materials.

The original beach shack is reminiscent of the vernacular and scale of this coastal town. We have sought to be respectful to the existing building by minimising the scale of the rear addition, ensuring it is not visible from the street and maintains the existing view corridors.

We strive to demonstrate to the market that sustainability and beauty can go hand in hand.

The design concept focused on ways to better connect the existing beach shack to its surroundings, by creating a series of indoor/outdoor spaces, that presented opportunities for views and physical connection to the coastal environment. It was also important to pay close consideration to the local coastal hazards and the changing climate. Landscaping strategies were employed to adapt to potential coastal flooding. While the increase in external temperatures was anticipated through the design of the building fabric and services.

The brief outlined several functional requirements which we combined reducing the footprint of the build and creating a multi-use space for generations of a family to come together at once, in a space that is connected to its surroundings and is resilient to future changes in the environment.

We worked hard to optimise the layout to make flexible spaces, that could accomodate many people in such a way so as not to feel over crowded. We elevated the living space to celebrate the sea views with an outdoor room merging down to landscape via generous ampithreatre seating. The bedrooms on the lower Ground Floor act as a bunker for insulated thermal mass with a robust structure to resist impacts of climate change.

There was a close working relationship between the builder, subcontractors, interior designer and structural engineers. This close knit team ensured the realisation of the Clients brief and vision.

The build at ~$12,285/m2 is a significant cost investment. However due to its high performance, detail and longevity this is seen as good lasting value. All tradespeople working on the project have been sourced from the local area which has provided benefit to the community.

The Cake House has offered a unique opportunity to combine respectful resource utilisation, with operational efficiency in a well crafted manner.

Awards:
Commendation in NSW Alterations and Additions Category