Rottnest Glamping

Location: Rottnest Island, Western Australia 

Status: Expression of Interest 2015

Eagle Bay House, located in the coastal south western town of Western Australia, was designed by architect Matthew Crawford in collaboration with Rosie Burton, daughter of the owners and graduate architect. The project sees the major addition and alterations to an existing family beach house.

Just one street back from the tranquil setting of Eagle Bay, the owners bought the bush block twenty one years ago and built their first home, a modest weatherboard cottage for the then- family of three. As the family has grown, so too has the house, offering a place of seclusion and comfort amidst years of surfing and country adventures.

Built directly south and emulating the existing gable forms, the addition introduces simple geometry, a sustainable palette of materials and passive solar to the family home. Nestled into the natural undulations of the site, grey rammed limestone walls envelope the lower floor comprised of cinema room, three bedrooms, bathroom and laundry, and forms a textural earthy backdrop to the outdoor cinema deck. Upstairs exposed roof timbers accentuate the simple gable form, underneath where the kitchen, living and master bedroom sit. A large picture window frames the view from the living room through the treetops to the ocean. This upper level is clad in blue weatherboards and, combined with the timber deck and galvanized steel canopy, forms a seamless connection to the original house. It is a simple layout that generously caters to all of the family’s needs, allowing warmth and winter-proofing during the colder months and spaces of ventilation and external shelter over summer.

Raw materiality is expressed throughout with elements of timber, rammed limestone, concrete and steel comprising the building structure, while classic whites and the family's carefully selected furniture, soft finishes and artwork inject warmth and depth to every space.

Just as the original beach cottage became a natural extension of the family’s lifestyle, this too underpinned the client’s brief: for a comfortable, low maintenance addition to sit in harmony with the beloved original. This time an element of simple sophistication was embraced by the now grown up family, and one which retained the feel and functionality of an Australian beach house.