Whale Beach

2024
Traditional lands of the Garigal people

Set high above Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Whale Beach reflects our ongoing commitment to architecture grounded in place, materiality and human connection. Designed as a permanent residence for long-time holidaymakers, the home distills the relaxed, understated character of its coastal setting into a refined and enduring architectural form.

The design responds to a steep, dual fronted site with a layered spatial approach across four levels. A formal entry sequence from the upper street contrasts with a more casual beachside entry below, offering flexible circulation and privacy. The home is divided into two modes of occupation - everyday living spaces for the couple above, and independent accommodation for adult children below - allowing the house to adapt to changing needs while maintaining a sense of intimacy and retreat.

A restrained palette of off form concrete, weathered timber and natural stone - our so called “holy trinity” - forms the backbone of the material strategy. These tactile, honest materials connect the architecture to its context, reflecting the bleached tones of nearby sand and the broader vernacular of the Australian beach house. Light and landscape are carefully choreographed throughout, with skylights, courtyards and elevated gardens drawing the outside in.

Whale Beach exemplifies our subtropical modernist philosophy, where biophilic design and rigorous detail work in concert to create a home that is as practical as it is poetic. From its elevated pool and sunken courtyard to the finely crafted joinery and soft native planting by Dangar Barin Smith, every element is designed to enhance the experience of place.

Built with County Construction and engineered by Westera Partners, this project represents not just an architectural outcome, but a long standing relationship, one built on trust, collaboration and a shared love for this extraordinary site.

Shaun Lockyer, Michael Ford, Adam Laming + Kevin Li for SLa
County Constructions
Dangar Barin Smith
Westera Partners

Derek Swalwell Photography