Australian architectural firm Rolf Ockert Design has created the Bronte House. Completed in 2012, this contemporary home in Sydney, Australia, achieves a high level of privacy while maintaining a sense of spaciousness, and providing panoramic views of the ocean. The house opens itself up completely to the East, the presentation of the stunning water views. This also allows the capture of the constant ocean breezes to cool down the house throughout the year, easily regulated by a plethora of ventilation options from sliding doors to operable louvres.
Sophisticated simplicity would be the most appropriate motto for the design of this house. Being on a very small block the client’s expectations of the generosity and design standard to be achieved required a very stringent approach. While the focus is naturally on the maximisation of the enjoyment of the majestic ocean views it was the suburban context that drove most of the major design decisions: The slotted northern concrete wall, the solid southern facade, the high roof with its continuous strip of highlight windows and louvres.
The house has transformed the lives of the clients. Having stepped back from a high powered, high income lifestyle they now enjoy the beach life and pursuit of their new occupations, writer and therapist respectively. This lifestyle is partly funded by the renting out of the house to high calibre visitors. The architectural quality and enhancement of the ocean location through the design is essential for this to be possible.
