Tathra
House.
A home on the edge of the continent. Perched above the dunes on the NSW far south coast, Tathra House balances two demands that rarely agree: open completely to the ocean view, and shut down completely when fire or storm arrives.
Our clients — a family of five returning to the coast after a decade in Melbourne — asked for a home that could host three generations at Christmas and feel small for two in July. The site sits in a BAL-40 bushfire zone with direct westerly exposure, which set the terms for everything that followed.
The house is organised as two offset wings under a single folded roof. The ocean wing is glass and spotted gum, sliding fully open to the deck; the landward wing is rendered blockwork and steel shutters, holding bedrooms, services and the fire refuge. Between them, a basalt-paved breezeway pulls the sea air through the plan and doubles as the family's summer dining room.
Completed in early 2025, the house runs fully electric on a 13kW array, holds an average 8.2-star NatHERS rating, and passed its BAL-40 certification without a single design compromise the family can see. It was named Coastal Home of the Year at the Southbank Design Awards.