A home with a difference

Australia is home to some of the most unique examples of architecture in the world. Villa Marittima at St. Andrews Beach in Victoria, designed by Robin Williams Architect, is the latest to join this list after winning two prestigious awards. The home is designed to capture the excitement of beach holidays and being close to the ocean with the use of minimalist, Japanese-inspired architecture.There are various noteworthy design touches that make this home stand out. Possibly the most exciting element is the material used to build the walls, a translucent multi-celled polycarbonate. This allows a huge amount of natural light to enter the home and means the lighting can change through the course of the day as the sun changes position. The polycarbonate has excellent insulating properties and is not damaged by salt air, making it less vulnerable to erosion than traditional building materials.The home has an innovative layout built over two levels connected by a gently sloping ramp intended to give relatives the feel of climbing a sand dune. There are no stairs in the property and all areas are easily accessible. The interior is immensely flexible with large open plan spaces that can be used for multiple functions. No space is wasted.At Coffey Architects we love seeing unique examples of residential architecture in London and throughout the world, particularly when they make such innovative use of unusual materials and effectively incorporate natural light and space to such stunning effect. The Villa Marittima certainly offers food for thought and shows what can be achieved with time, effort and innovative design ideas, qualities which we apply to all our own commercial and residential projects. If you are considering building your own unique home or making changes to your existing property, we will work closely with you to find solutions which benefit the surrounding environment and enhance day to day living.