Tidal Arc House in Flinders, VIC by Hecker Guthrie, Woods Bagot & Simone Haag.

Tidal Arc House in Flinders, Mornington Peninsula flips the stereotypical typology of an Australian coastal home on its head. Rather than go the light and bright route observed by so many beachside homes, the residence references the surrounding dark, ominous cliffs and stoic elements that comprise the coast. The significant residential project was completed between three firms – architecture by Woods Bagot, interiors by Hecker Guthrie, and furniture and styling by Simone Haag.

The 884sqm site comprises two curved volumes stacked atop one another, encompassing a palette of dark and textural timbers, stones, textiles, and refined metals. A series of vistas toward the views beyond are concealed and revealed within the architectural framework, with areas for both modesty and display working in harmony. The predominance of darker materiality lends a sense of refuge and privacy, however elements that are unmistakably geared toward entertaining balance functionally quiet, discreet spaces throughout.

The ground floor is built to host a crowd, with three adjacent guest bedrooms each with en suite bathrooms, and a built-in bar off the lounge room. Upstairs, the kitchen is comprised of a concealed back-kitchen and a sculptural front island around which engagement and conversation is encouraged. A subterranean basement level contains a wine room and plant room.

The sweeping, arc-shaped concrete facades, tall ceilings, and walls paneled in dark oak stained timber are almost intimidating in their grandeur, taking cues from the rugged, uncompromising landscape the residence sits among. Much of the interior lighting is concealed discreetly within radiating beams, which create a series of segmented ceiling patterns hence determining the layout of each room.

Textiles and furniture such as deep coral wool rugs, marble basins, and timber and stone accessories add warmth and solidity to the home. Natural brass accents and scalloped ceramic tiles in the bathrooms refract external natural light. Tidal Arc House is clad in a single intense fossilized limestone, its unique, embossed clamshell pattern pertaining to the coral geology.

The applied height controls of the house follow the contours of the cliff, an organic form bending from north to south to create a protective concave space for the rear courtyard garden. The zinc-clad rood tilts from east to west, providing shade in the afternoon and welcoming sunlight in the morning. There are no right angles or parallel curves on the project; the geometry is intentionally as dynamic as the weather and tidal movements of Flinders.

See more projects from Hecker Guthrie, Woods Bagot & Simone Haag on Yellowtrace.

[Images courtesy of Hecker Guthrie & Woods Bagot. Photography by Trevor Mein. Styling by Simone Haag.]