Delivering great design is something that all of us at Wingates are very proud of and a recent house project for one of our valued clients in Merimbula, New South Wales has certainly given us even more reason to enjoy what we do.

Merimbula is the aboriginal name referencing the two lakes of the Northern and Southern ends of this coastal town and is located on the far south “Sapphire Coast” of New South Wales. It’s a popular tourist destination and known for its locally produced oysters and great beaches.

The site is approached down a ‘right of way’ from the main road heading north and is the second house we have designed for our client. Situated on cleared land in a bush hazard area it enjoys views across the town to Short Point and the Tasman Sea. The entry to the house is elevated and leads you under a covered north-facing courtyard to the entry door.

The initial planning of the house was based on an idea of a central living area connecting both the North and South wings providing bedrooms, WFH offices, a garage, laundry and a Physio Studio with its own private entrance.

It was essential to our client that there was no need for air conditioning. Our approach was to have large overhangs for North facing glazing for heat control, effective cross-ventilation including south light air dump, wood fires, and heavily insulated external fabric. The house has been future-proofed for solar panels and battery storage.

Material and products were sourced locally, including a beautiful run of spotted gum for wall cladding outside and inside. The main floor is concrete with a natural cork overlay. The raised ceiling is Hoop pine veneer plywood.

Central to this project’s success was the exceptional work of the builder, Sapphire Coast Construction, who had an incredible eye for detail and were great to work with. We are delighted with the finished result and yes are very proud of our talented team.WINGATE ARCHITECTS team: Thomas Oki, Joyce Dobbs, Jonathan Gibb, Tracey Wingate and David Wingate