Contrast & Duality - The House at Prickly Rocks by O’Connor and Houle

Emerging from and tightly embracing the earth, strong planar concrete forms are grounded in the northern aspect, creating a sense of protection and enclosure for the home and its occupants. Designed within the Mornington Peninsula National Park, and subject to a vegetation protection overlay, the course and unyielding natural elements of the site were calculated and measured as part the process. Utilising concrete for its high level of thermal mass, the resulting home showcases strength in bold application of materiality with the house constructed solely from concrete (internally and externally), with other complementary elements built entirely from timber.

The House at Prickly Rocks is an exemplar of monolithic and strongly weighted design responding to its layered and multi-faceted site. O’Connor and Houle has expertly designed a home that is capable of adapting to a warming climate and to last for over one hundred years, while still not compromising on the residential nuances. Its duality of materiality and expression of form is a thoughtful and adaptable vernacular– one that responds to the Australian climate context, providing a sense of shelter and protection, while embracing its adjacent rugged coastal landscape.