Shaping how the site is experienced was central to the design. The views were deliberately framed and edited to celebrate the escarpment basin while embedding the home into its beachside setting, filtering out less appealing aspects of the surroundings. Gardens wrap closely around the home, creating a lush immediate outlook before giving way to the broader natural landscape. On the eastern side, the house deliberately turns away from its neighbour—built to the maximum setback—completely removing it from the internal experience, in contrast to the openness of the other three elevations.

This decision formed a defining spine wall that reads as the single main wall on the upper level. Its role is twofold: opening the home to the beauty of the site while shielding it from nearby parking areas, high pedestrian flow, and vehicle traffic. Solid balustrades on both floors and careful floor height positioning enhance this balance of openness and refuge. The first-floor balcony design evolved from multiple needs—blocking headlight glare, ensuring client privacy, refining escarpment views, avoiding a “cheap box” appearance, and sculpting the roof form into a distinct architectural feature.

The spatial planning takes a deliberate, layered approach. Upstairs, bedrooms and bathrooms are more introverted, with smaller, curated openings that control costs and preserve the impact of the view so it remains special. Downstairs, openings expand, inviting connection and shared enjoyment. This level adopts an evolved open-plan concept, pivoting around a central kitchen framed by gardens. The kitchen’s central unit subtly divides the space without interrupting continuous ceiling and floor lines, balancing openness with privacy and a sense of containment.