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Architects: Oscar Sainsbury Architects
- Area: 150 m²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Rory Gardiner
‘Hollywood’ is one of a handful of houses at Smiths Beach, Phillip Island, designed by architect John Baird in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Constructed in timber and clad in rough-sawn treated pine, Baird’s houses were designed in consideration of siting, view, and orientation, and with minimal site coverage to allow space for landscaping. Only two houses remain, including ‘Hollywood’ which is located on a prominent corner location.
Thoroughly tested and proven over 30 years of family use, the clients wanted to retain the easy function and utilitarian materiality of the original house while adding further accommodation for the evolution of family life. The framework for the renovation was grounded in the principles and qualities of the existing building and the introduction of new space and amenities was defined by the scale, rhythm, and tactile qualities of the original house. New opportunities for connection to the site and surrounding environment were to be introduced only where they played a functional role and improved what was already in place.
Built entirely from timber, plywood, galvanized iron, and glass which were readily available off-the-shelf, the material and dimensional logic of the original house was tightly connected to the economy of its construction. The original cube-like form created a strong volumetric language but also yielded carefully to the slope of the land. Our approach was to engage with these pre-existing conditions, continuing the scale of rooms, stepped floor plates, and vertical inhabitation while also reusing existing materials where possible.
A small two-level addition is consistent in scale with the original house and clad in timber salvaged on-site from a demolished wall and shed. The upper level now contains all the requirements for a couple or small family holiday while the ground floor rooms allow for further occupation as required. A series of minimal interventions were made to the original building; creating new openings by stripping walls back to stud frame, bringing light in from the north, introducing louvered windows and hatches for airflow, and improving insulation and glazing.
Other simple but functional elements were retained or repurposed including the original staircase, while a pantry became a closet and a re-positioned shed, containing various surf and ocean equipment, activating an underutilized area of the garden. Decks across both levels have varying qualities of enclosure – fully open, partially covered, and roofed, allowing for a view of the ocean, or a retreat from the wind.
The project aims to capture a spirit of ease in occupation and the result gives generously to its occupants while asking for little in return. The house is built to withstand the rigor of holiday life and now functions for three generations.
