MANSON House

Additions to Rex Addison’s Manson House’ on Macleay Island

Overview

Low scale and lightweight construction in keeping with the 'beach shack' ethos the additions link sensitively to the original house designed by Rex Addison via a covered walkway.

The L shaped plan forms a courtyard maintaining Rex’s original ideas of opening North from the original living areas into the back garden. These linear spaces also allowed us to avoid removal of mature native trees on the site.

Linear sequence of spaces lead you from the main house to a round hot tub with a view of the garden and bay.

Rex Addison explains his ideas on the original house design.

“This is a ‘coastal cottage’ variation in the ‘beach shack’ ethos. These shacks traditionally relax suburban rules and often have a collaged quality with ‘ad hoc’ additions and changes characterising their lines.”

“The large and small spaces of this house were composed to evoke this quality. The large space looks two ways;firstly to the North into the back garden through a screened opening and secondly to the bay in the South West with protection for the big window given by a large canvas blind. The high window above the curved WC/bathroom roof enables the winter sun to penetrate the depths of the large pace.”

“The laundry ‘leans to’ off these spaces, like a large stove recess. The carport on the East peels off the main slope of the roof and the terrace at the front draws the main roof down to the ground.” - Rex Addison

Project summary

Site area: 650 sqm

Work in progress: 2020

Client: Private