Marine House by David Barr Architects
Marine House by David Barr Architects is a project that combines the old and the new in a contemporary result that feels fresh and organic — or as David Barr himself says, ‘very Fremantle.’
Words: Emma-Kate Wilson | Photography: Jack Lovel
The Marine House, in South Fremantle, by David Barr Architects is a series of existing features and modern updates that allow the heritage family home to breathe. The clients had grown children, and as such, the property needed readdressing to maximise easy living, while capturing the views and honouring the heritage of the site.
Using the framework of the former house, first built in 1905, the architects added a palette of timber, concrete, and soft whites all encased in the new geometric form add-on. David and his team started by opening out the original oceanside house with a completely fresh addition. The clients loved the home’s simple pitched roof and massed brick walls, but the insular rooms disrupted that all-important flow.
“They wanted casual spaces that would shelter them from the occasional excesses of sun and wind which Fremantle provides, but which they could mostly keep open and use casually as friends and family dropped around,” David shares.
Essentially, the extension acts as an open plan living and dining space that spills over into the courtyard, with a bedroom suite up top and a private deck. This new section sets out to capture the views along the ample coastline—a must for the clients.
David Barr Architects chose materials for their durability — painted brick walls, lightly polished concrete floors, and timber ceilings. Photo: Jack Lovel
Marine House is as light and inviting as it is robust and weighted. Photo: Jack Lovel
“The addition sits on the footprint of previous lean-to additions and sheds, so the new works reference these past uses for the site, which we thinks helps the addition combine with the old in a subtle way,” says David Barr. Photo: Jack Lovel
“While quite different in form, the addition is tied to the existing in multiple ways, notably through its planning, materials and memory.”
“While the house is obviously white, the exact shade was tested at length in order to find a ’soft’ white that wasn’t too stark against the blindingly blue West Australian skies,” says David Barr. Photo: Jack Lovel
Within the original home, the clients were able to see directly through from their front door out to the train tracks and boat storage yard. David Barr Architects continued this line of site through the planning of the addition. “This strong axis combines the old and new during day-to-day use, acting as the primary organising devise for the plan and visually linking old and new spaces,” David explains.
The surrounding vernacular inspired the addition, with lean-to and ‘shed’ structures sitting on the site prior to the family home. As such, the planning manages to combine the old in a subtle way. This continues with the original brick and stone boundary walls that further the ambitions of both sustainability for the environment and the local history.
David chose materials for their durability – painted brick walls, lightly polished concrete floors, and timber ceilings. And white walls were picked to offset the dark floor and warm ceiling plus providing a great backdrop to the clients’ art collection.
While the clients were after a low-fuss property, David Barr Architects saw an opportunity to introduce a sophisticated, permanent beach house vibe. The Marine House reveals the value in restoring heritage homes while still offering a modern home for family living.
Photo: Jack Lovel
Photo: Jack Lovel
“It feels very Fremantle (not to mention more sustainable) to layer up new and old rather than trying to wipe the slate clean and start anew.”
Courtyard details. Photo: Jack Lovel
The open plan living and dining space spills over into the courtyard. Photo: Jack Lovel
“The design had to respond to different conditions immediately adjacent the site while also considering the westerly views towards the nearby Indian Ocean and the prevailing winds from the south-west,” says David Barr. Photo: Jack Lovel