St Andrews Beach House
A beach house with magnificent timber portals and views
Timber Specifications
Glulam: GL18 Vic Ash Hardwood, GL18 Silvertop Ash Hardwood
Rafters: 245x65mm GL18
Columns: 103x85mm GL18
A new benchmark has been set for an ideal summer and beachy holiday at Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. The St Andrews Beach House sits remotely in a beautiful Australian coastal landscape. In amongst the wild bush and sand dune, it offers serenity and seclusion for the owners, who challenged the builders to produce a cylindrical structured ‘bach’ for simple liveability and enhanced views. A ‘Bach’ is commonly known as a small and modest holiday home or beach house in New Zealand.
The beach house became internationally recognized for its distinct design and use of timber products. Its cylindrical structure is a unique feature that sets this beach house apart from the rest. It allows the beach house to resist external noise as sound waves dissipate by wrapping around the building. Fittingly, the timber product used is another great addition to producing better acoustics inside.
Vicbeam manufactured and supplied GLT (Glue Laminated Timbers) to be delivered on-site. Once assembled, a total of 24 portals provides the frame of the beach house as the Hardwood columns made of Silver Top Ash subtly compliments the surrounding cladding timbers.
Internally, GL18 Vic Ash Hardwood rafters and columns offers warmth to an open spaced environment as natural light shines through to the kitchen and onto bolted rafters and purlins. The exposed timber beams are continued onto the second floor where a curtain divided bedroom looks out into the view.
A bespoke GLT project involving superb timber structural engineering and architecture finish for ‘the most basic, down to earth thing’ – a New Zealand style bach (McGarry, M).
