Coastal Residence, Scarborough
A custom home in Scarborough designed for a narrow, sloping coastal site — responding to orientation, privacy, natural light and buildability.
Project Type : Custom home
Location : Scarborough, Perth
Site Type : Narrow coastal / sloping site
Design Focus : Site response, natural light, privacy, integrated interiors
Status : Completed residence
Project Overview
This custom home in Scarborough responds to a constrained coastal block where slope, narrow frontage, privacy and natural light all influenced the design.
The home works with the natural levels of the site, creating a sequence of connected spaces that step with the land rather than forcing the building onto a flat platform.
This approach helps the home respond more carefully to the site while improving the relationship between internal living spaces, outdoor areas, the street and neighbouring properties.
Rather than treating the slope as a limitation, the design uses the site conditions to create a more considered architectural outcome.
Key Design Considerations
- Narrow coastal site
- Sloping block conditions
- Split-level planning
- Northern natural light
- Privacy from neighbouring properties
- Integrated interiors
- Design and build strategy
Design Approach
The design focused on working with the slope of the site in a practical and considered way.
By stepping the built form, the home reduces the need for excessive excavation while creating a more dynamic internal spatial experience.
Living areas were planned to maximise natural light and outlook while maintaining privacy from neighbouring properties.
Interior spaces, material selections and detailing were considered as part of the broader architectural response, helping the home feel cohesive rather than assembled from separate decisions.
The design also considers buildability from the beginning, ensuring the architectural response remains practical to construct on a constrained coastal site.
A Considered Response to a Coastal Site
This project reflects a site-responsive approach to custom residential design.
The home was shaped by its specific conditions – narrow frontage, slope, orientation, privacy and coastal context — rather than by a standard design solution.
For complex residential sites, this early thinking is critical. It allows the architecture, interiors and construction approach to work together more clearly from the beginning.
The result is a custom home that responds to its site, improves natural light and privacy, and creates a more resolved living environment on a challenging coastal block.
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