Bendalong Beach House by Madeleine Blanchfield
Architect Madeleine Blanchfield has designed a contemporary beach house for her parents in Bendalong which is sympathetic to its context.
Words: Hande Renshaw | Photography: Robert Walsh
Madeleine Blanchfield landed the dream job for many architects, the opportunity to design a modest, respectful and modern holiday home for her parents on the NSW coast.
As the perfect person for the project, Madeleine understood the needs of her parents, applying her architecture expertise to create a sympathetic design which responded to the home’s Bendalong context.
A priority for Madeline’s parents was to have a close connection to the outdoors. Keeping this in mind, Madeline designed fully retractable windows that enclose the ground floor. ‘We wanted maximum flow between spaces, so glass opens in the corners and stacks away, leaving very little but the roof when open,’ says Madeleine.
To overcome issues of privacy, operable timber screens were installed, and a traditional front terrace was placed at the rear.
Not long after completion, the house was almost destroyed in the 2019-2020 bushfires (as can be seen in photos of the surrounding trees), but fortunately it was built to BAL – 19 standards, and spared any damage.
What was once a holiday home is now Madeline’s parents home full time, “The house was built for my parents as just a holiday home but since completion they’ve moved in permanently, they love being there, which is the greatest complement a child or architect could receive,” says Madeleine.
Designed for architect Madeleine Blanchfield’s parents, the house has strong connection to the outdoors with the fully retractable doors with operable timber screens. Photo: Robert Walsh
“We wanted to be respectful of the casual coastal appeal and kept the living pavilion single storey and low to the street,” says Madeline Blanchfield. Photo: Robert Walsh
“Screens and planting ensure that the house can be manipulated to suit the mood, weather and user, however on the whole the house has a very open and public feel,” says Madeline Blanchfield. Photo: Robert Walsh
“Bendalong Beach house is raw, honest and simple in presentation — as with all apparently simple things an immense amount of care went into perfecting many design iterations.”
The communal and open-plan living space. Photo: Robert Walsh
Designed for architect Madeleine Blanchfield’s parents, the house has strong connection to the outdoors with the fully retractable doors with operable timber screens. Photo: Robert Walsh
“The house was built for my parents — since completion they have moved in permanently, they love being there, which is the greatest complement a child or architect could receive”
The sleeping quarters are separate to the living pavilion which is very communal. Photo: Robert Walsh
The clean material palette continues through to bathroom spaces. Photo: Robert Walsh