MGAO centres 1950s Anglesea beach house around courtyard garden
Architecture studio MGAO has overhauled a mid-century beach house in Victoria, Australia, enhancing the connection with its courtyard garden planted with native trees.
Situated on Australia's Surf Coast, MGAO renovated the 1950s home for a young family, creating a light, open space with large expanses of glass and a strong connection to the garden.
Designed to celebrate the mid-century character of the original, the 200-square-metre, single-storey home was completed with natural timber panels paired with a white steel roof.
The studio retained the original L-shaped layout and existing brick walls, which have been reworked and finished with a sandy yellow cement render.
"We began with a vision of retaining the original dwelling, but due to disrepair and current regulations, a significant amount of new work was required," MGAO director Matt Goodman told Dezeen.
"The original home was charming but impractical – with poor insulation and awkward add-ons, the best option was to sensitively rebuild," he stated.
"To ensure we remained true to the original, we looked to the original working drawings, replicating elements such as the original structural grid, spacing of rafters, eave overhangs and window sizes."
An open-plan kitchen, dining and living space opens out onto the garden, with the existing windows altered to reduce the visible timber framing.
The garden was completed with new timber decking and a series of winding pathways leading through the native Moonah trees to a separate studio, which houses a guest bedroom and bathroom.
Inside, the pared-back palette combines natural and off-white timber panelling with pale brickwork and neutral finishes, creating a minimal backdrop to views of the garden.
"The colour comes from the surrounding Moonah trees and the passing of the day," said Goodman.
"The Blackbutt hardwood timber used throughout connects the interior to the surrounding vegetation," he said.
"Everything else was chosen to form a calming background to everyday life, ensuring that the focus was outwards, towards the native garden."
One of the largest interventions was the decision to raise the ceiling height, leading to the reconstruction of the roof.
The studio described this as one of the greatest challenges of the project, as the original structural columns were non-compliant with the weight of the new roof.
Bedrooms and bathrooms were designed to be functional and simple, with the roof of the bedroom wing updated to replicate the exposed rafters in the living space. Floor-to-ceiling windows feature in the master bedroom.
The project's approach to sustainability involved the addition of solar panels and a heat pump for water, alongside improved insulation, operable windows for cross ventilation and deep eaves for summer shade.
Other mid-century homes in Australia featured on Dezeen include the restoration and extension of a Melbourne home by Karen Abernethy and the refurbishment of a 1960s Perth house by Design Theory.
The photography is by Jack Lovel.
Project credits:
Builders: Great Ocean Road Builders
Joinery: Higher Level Joinery
Glass: Edge Glass and Aluminium
Structure: Simon Anderson Consultants
Landscape: CD Landscapes
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