Casuarina House, Fairhaven, Victoria. Out for Tender soon.

Elongated along the horizon line of Fairhaven’s coastline, the house is shaped by its unusually wide east–west site, allowing every room to look directly out to Bass Strait. Unlike the typical narrow ocean-frontage lots of the area, this orientation enables the building to stretch across the landscape. Instead of occupying the western corner with a two-storey form, the house is drawn out across the site so that all spaces share equal access to ocean views and the shifting weather patterns of the Southern Ocean.

The site falls in two directions—south toward the ocean embankment and east toward the road. The roof form follows these gradients to maximise internal floor heights and extend ocean outlooks in elevation. Internally, the folded ceiling establishes a strong datum that references the distant horizon, with subtle pitch changes defining each living module: kitchen, dining, living, and sleeping spaces. North-facing highlight glazing animates the interior, casting shifting shadows across the ceiling throughout the day.

Each module incorporates panelised Durra Panel walls—compressed straw panels that are low in embodied energy, fully recyclable and biodegradable, and offer superior thermal insulation compared to conventional wall systems.

Drawing from one of Le Corbusier’s Five Points of Architecture - Pilotis, the house is elevated on splayed plinths of locally sourced aggregate stone. The building cantilevers between these supports, allowing landscape and vegetation to regenerate beneath. Over time, indigenous planting will absorb the plinths into the site, leaving the upper level to read as a singular form. The upper level is clad in ochre tones that resonate with the flowering Allocasuarina verticillata prominent in the area.

Natural ventilation is achieved through concealed hatches that enable cross-ventilation, capturing cooling south-easterly and westerly winds. The house is divided into two wings around an airlock courtyard, providing privacy for the clients’ adult children and visiting friends who enjoy riding on the Great Ocean Road.