Bundeena House by Tribe Studio Architects
Bundeena House by Tribe Studio Architects celebrates indoor-outdoor garden living and serves as an affordable and sustainable prototype home.
Words: Thida Sachathep | Photography: Katherine Lu
Photo: Katherine Lu
Photo: Katherine Lu
Set on the outskirts of the Port Hacking River and neighbouring the Royal National Park is Tribe Studio Architect’s beachside Bundeena House, a socially sustainable and affordable prototype home.
As a weekender, Bundeena House is designed to have a U-shape form, enabling it to be centralised around an internal courtyard and further strengthening the connection between interior and exterior. The lush native garden around the area, and a Queensland bottle tree, emanates a sense of relaxation that provides the ideal respite from the hustle and bustle of city life.
‘We could have had glorious views from a second storey, however we felt that reinforcing the local vernacular of single storey timber cottages was important, and that an introspective garden diagram was preferable to outward looking in this context,’ says Hannah Tribe, principle of Tribe Studio Architects.
Bundeena Home has a quintessential Australian aesthetic, even having been constructed with primarily modular elements. The pared-back interiors are reminiscent of modest fisherman cottages with white painted timber cladding. Other materials, such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL), plywood and Australian Blackbutt, were chosen for its durability and longevity.
“This house is an attempt to achieve a high level of architectural and sustainable outcomes at a low cost. It is an experiment in delivering a more thoughtful kit home.”
The rear pavilion contains the living, dining and kitchen spaces separated by a large fireplace in the centre of the room. Photo: Katherine Lu
“This house is a retreat from busy city lives that encourages a slower way of living by the beach.”
The formal arrangement on site relies a simplicity in construction methodology and with a minimal palette to reduce waste. Photo: Katherine Lu
An open and fluid floor plan with cooking, eating, and lounging areas makes Bundeena Home a great place for families to enjoy. Two bedrooms and a children’s room with built-in sofas can accommodate an additional six guests, welcoming friends to congregate and entertain. Considering its proximity to Gunyah Beach, the laundry and bathroom are situated at the entrance of the home, ideal for wet and sandy trips back from the seaside.
While many sustainable home prototypes have previously been designed across Australia, this stands out for its ability to be prefabricated across various contexts and withstand weather – from the bush to the beach. Rather than designing and manufacturing a house that prioritises beach views and split-level living, the design team intentionally focused their efforts in considering the ability to replicate the home, one that responds to both “sea-change and tree-change”.
Passive cooling and heating are attained by the thermal mass of the concrete slab, large retractable walls, and double-glazed windows. But beyond that, sustainability in the home is also afforded by the reduction of solar gain from north-facing windows, rainwater harvests and solar energy, culminating as a cost-effective build that is also supportive of local businesses around the area.
Bundeena House is conceived from a place of simplicity, which is carried out throughout the interior. Photo: Katherine Lu
‘It is a garden and cooking focused holiday home and a place where children and adults are connected,’ says Hannah Tribe. Photo: Katherine Lu
The home is a simple timber frame, which is perched atop a concrete slab, flanked by sliding glass doors that provide important connection to the native garden. Photo: Katherine Lu
“It is a garden and cooking focused holiday home and a place where children and adults are connected.”
Landscape design by Christopher Owen sees native species fill the courtyard and surround the home. Photo: Katherine Lu
All rooms face towards the internal garden and gain natural light from the connection to the outdoors. Photo: Katherine Lu