88 hare street.

The brief called for a family home that created the feeling of being on holiday in a retreat style resort. To achieve this, Benson Design created clearly defined zones within the building, and linked them with a spacious central hub.

The main hallway ‘hub’ has a wall of glass looking into the garden courtyard with pond and waterfall which provides a calming sound while passing through the space. The main hall has views in all directions and in particular the bushland view to the south, achieved by keeping the adjoining front roof planes flat and low, is a delightful feature.

The family of five are very close-knit, with kids now in their 20s who love to come home to meet with family and chill out with mates. The ground level entertaining room with pool area set to one side is perfect for entertaining, and has been designed as a sound-proof space away from the main living area and parents’ bedroom wing.

The site has a medium and even slope with a beach view through the backyard to the north, ideal for creating a two-level home with views from all living spaces and several bedrooms. The client had a preference for a traditional steep pitched roof; to add interest Keiron configured an articulated roof over the top level, made up of two primary gable hut roof shapes linked with a flat central area. In combination with the lower flat roof over the garage and entry, the building forms a visually appealing group of smaller complementary shapes.

External finishes were chosen to be low maintenance with a long life span. Pre-finished high grade commercial cladding was installed along with exposed aggregate concrete, Colorbond Ultra roof cladding and stainless fixings and fittings.

The poor and outdoor living space on the sunny north side of the home was create by terraced retaining walls. The split levels reduced retaining wall cost, and have also provided a functional separation between spaces.