Dovecote
Dovecote
Headland House is perched on a sprawling coastal site in Gerringong, NSW, Australia. Rolling green pastures running dairy cows line this 150-acre property on one side with rugged coastal cliffs and ocean on the other. The house is characterised by three extruded rectilinear volumes that wrap around a protected courtyard. The three linked pavillions form an open ‚U‘ shape to the northern sun. This provides refuge from the bitter southern winds and storm fronts. Large retractable sliding doors allow fine tuning dependent on weather conditions. The pavilions are heavily articulated, morphing and twisting toward view, sun and protective opportunities. Carefully controlled views in all windows create powerful and memorable images in the minds of the occupants. The extreme ends of the two main pavilions focus like telescopes on the ocean and the farmlands respectively, while the bedrooms offer built in window seats and other personal moments. The detailing is painstakingly minimal to give a calming uncluttered feeling and maintain the connection to landscape and the ever changing weather and light. Themes of views, enclosure is further explored with many optical refinements evident in the non-paralell walls of the living areas, the elegantly tapered hallway and inverse pyramidal stair case.
