K House by Renato D’Ettorre Architects is a home of substance, responding equally to the living patterns of its residents and its breathtaking coastal aspect.
With an authentic, resilient palette of brick, concrete, stone and glass, and a balanced white rendered composition, K House assumes a design clarity that articulates the natural beauty of its landscape, juxtaposed by the purity of its built form. It is a home that entirely concedes to the colourways and elemental resonance of the coastline it stands over, articulating the notion of home as shelter.
Designed for place, functionality and beauty, K House reconciles a long history of architectural philosophy to result in a place that finds harmony through a respectful polarity between built and natural landscapes.
The interior architecture does not intrude or overwhelm. Still, it does inform every area – delineating spaces such as the internal bench seat with a giant picture window or creating an intimate lounge area with a fireplace and appropriate seating.
Situated on a clifftop overlooking the Pacific Ocean, K House was conceived in perfectly proportioned and unpretentious form. The home is positioned to take advantage of the magnificent ocean and landscape views, informed by a robust design language – geometric structural make-up and resilient materials. Inside and out, a tangible sense of precision elevates the home beyond its geographic context and any singular architectural style, informing a built environment that is proud yet quietly so.
Entry to K House is through a large white perforated-steel, free-standing gate, and the first impressions are of a wall of glazing dappled with light and shadow that provides glimpses of the interior and the water beyond. Stepping over the threshold, sweeping beyond the apex of a modesty wall, is acre upon acre of azure. The Pacific could easily be the Aegean Sea and the sky the limitless blue above the coastline of the Mediterranean. An interior foreground of concrete, crisp white walls and warm timber furniture imbue a sense of balance, not competing with the vistas but accentuating and conceding to them.
Alcove seating and considered furniture vignettes reconcile the architecture and interior design at K House, guiding usability and amplifying the home’s restorative and restful atmosphere.
K House has been spatially planned to support the living patterns of the couple who reside here while continually conversing with the landscape. The primary bedroom with ensuite and dressing room is on the same level as the terrace, along with an extended workbench and a stair that leads down to the ground floor. At the top of the stairwell, a monumental picture window curates the seascape and coastline to become a glorious real-life artwork that bestows a resonant sense of place and washes golden light through the home.
The kitchen, dining and living areas are located on the level below, along with the laundry and another bedroom and bathroom. Strategically placed doors lead to the landscaped barbecue setting on the right of the house and an intimate walled garden at the front. They also provide access to the lawn at the back and the in-ground pool on the other side. Everywhere there is garden and vegetables, herbs and flowers. It’s idyllic, and for a foodie, it’s also delicious.
Sustainability is the cornerstone of the pragmatics of K House. From its materiality – concrete, painted brick, glass, marble and American oak timber – to the inclusion of measures that take maximum advantage of the home’s location, such as solar panels, a concrete roof and floor for passive heating and cooling, cross ventilation. Each element works hard to inform aesthetics as well as passive performance, right down to the garden which complements the home’s design and environmental context while extending further to cultivate edible plants year-round.
K House is a richly structured home, a haven that holistically homages its outstanding situation through every detail. It exudes a quiet luxury; one that rests in its abiding design and a propensity for understanding its profound value to its residents, context and capacity for engaging with the senses.
K House sits proudly above the rugged coastline of NSW. Native landscaping integrates the home into its surroundings while holding its own within them.
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