Blueys Beach could soon be recognised as home to one of coastal country NSW’s best architectural renovations with a local house competing for honours in the Australian Institute of Architects’ NSW Country Division Awards.
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Surf Coast House by Pacific Palms’ architect Ian Sercombe is vying for an award in the Residential Architecture - Houses (Alterations & Additions) category.
This project is a makeover of an old concrete block house that was freezing in the winter and a heat box in the summer. The brief was to give the house a unique character and get it performing thermally.
The aesthetic was driven by a mix of timbers from the local Mid North Coast area, corrugated steel sheets reminiscent of the old sheds and fishing shacks of the coast, and the ocean.
Thermal efficiency has been achieved through insulating the walls, creating a reverse veneer, insulating the ceilings, adding strategic skylights and protecting the existing west facing windows from the summer sun.
Architect Ian Sercombe specialises in solutions for sustainable energy-efficient projects with sound planning, natural light, natural ventilation, colour and form as well as the choice of materials it’s finished with. All contribute to minimise the impact to the natural environment as well as provide cost savings.
NSW Country division chair, Sarah Aldridge, said the awards, now in their 52nd year, were an important way to showcase outstanding architecture outside the main city and metropolitan centres.
“Regional, rural and remote Australia is home to some of the best projects the architectural profession has to offer,” Ms Aldridge said.
“Australia’s unique landscapes offer both challenges and opportunities to apply leading practice architectural design. Here in the country there is a sharp focus on sustainability, amenity with the local environment, and the very real benefits good architecture brings to the community.”
Surf Coast House is one of 19 projects competing in seven award categories. Winners will be decided by a panel of expert judges from the industry, with a final category to be decided by members of the public who can show their support for a local, or favourite, project by voting in the People’s Choice Award before 5pm on September 22, 2016.
