This stunning home on the NSW South Coast has won both the 2019 HIA-CSR Australian Home of the Year and the 2019 Housing Industry Association's Australian Custom Built Home.
As much a piece of art as it is a home, Headland House, built by Bellevarde Constructions, is a four-bedroom, four-bathroom residence, with a sharp angular facade clad twice in stone and zinc, and cantilevered to create a gravity-defying illusion.
Overlooking Werri Lagoon and down to Gerringong, the property and its accompanying guest space, Escarpment House, take full advantage of the views, natural light and the seclusion of its location.
The house was designed by Atlier Andy Carson and sits on 150-acres encompassing dairy paddocks and coastal cliffs. It comprises three pavilions which link around a courtyard, each of which cantilever towards the ocean and rural views.
Instead of incoroprating large panes of glass at every opportunity, as featured on many houses with such a view, the architects of Headland House said that instead of providing the same view throughout the house, the design creates a considered framed glimpse of what lies outside.
Taking in this view becomes a particularly special from behind the 500kg glass panels in the 'storm-viewing room', where harsh southerly winds, lightning and rain can be seen across the Pacific Ocean.
Sustainability measures include extra thick highly insulated walls, double glazing, rain water harvesting (off grid), with UV filtration and treatment, an on-site sewage treatment and supplementary solar power.