Ramsgate House by Sydney-based practice Common Office was born from a brief with two seemingly competing demands: that the home feel deeply connected to its location in Bondi, while also serving as a private, intimate retreat for a young family. The site's proximity to one of Australia's most popular beaches became the project's defining design parameter.
Balancing domestic privacy with its public surroundings, the project is the result of a complex planning process — one that involved multiple applications, modifications, and ongoing negotiations with council. Central to this was making the case that the building was appropriate for its local context, with detailed discussions around the rhythm and number of arches to ensure the best outcome for the streetscape.
The design reinterprets the classical loggia, drawing reference from the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana and its history as a ubiquitous architectural tool spanning classical antiquity to modernism. A series of arches establishes a thickened, inhabitable threshold between the streetscape of North Bondi and the interior.
“We conceptualised the home as situated somewhere between Bondi and Miami,” notes the practice. “We wanted to portray a sense of street-facing ornament that was simultaneously pared back to speak an Art Deco language.”
The building is constructed using traditional double — and in some instances, triple-skin — brick. Along the primary facade, the arches are formed naturally through the masonry, functioning as load-bearing structural elements. They frame views, light, and quiet moments of occupation, mediating visibility between the house and the public realm. The loggia operates as an intermediate condition, offering shade and spatial depth while responding to the climatic demands of the coastal setting.
Internally, the curved geometry of the arch unfolds into a sinuous four-storey stairwell that draws natural light through the house. This vertical sequence culminates in a copper-clad pavilion at the upper level — a space for gathering and entertaining, with elevated eastern views toward the beach and ocean. The copper cladding is designed to be dynamic, shifting in texture and appearance as it weathers over time.
To the rear, the arched motif reappears, framing articulated steel windows within a stucco facade. Northern light fills a double-height living area that opens onto a pool and garden planted with native species.
Designed in collaboration with Handelsman + Khaw, the interiors amplify the spatial and atmospheric qualities of the architecture through a carefully calibrated palette of muted, sun-washed finishes, selected for their durability and responsiveness to the coastal climate.
Photography: Anson Smart
The project incorporates passive environmental strategies through deep reveals and thickened thresholds, which mitigate solar gain and reduce overheating. Native planting supports the local ecological context, while the spatial configuration promotes natural light and ventilation throughout.
Ramsgate House is ultimately a study in mediation — between public and private, inside and out, the enduring language of classical architecture and the demands of contemporary coastal living.
Credits
Architect: Common Office
Project Team: Rob Meyerson, Lead Architect; William J McKee, Lead Architect; Michael Cho, Project Designer; Manuel Hankoo, Graduate Architect
Builder: Ivison Constructions
Structural Engineer: ABVD
Services Engineer: ERBAS
Project Manager: Richard Pajor, Cardo Projects
Interior Designer: Handelsman + Khaw
Planner: GSA Planning
Landscape: Myles Baldwin Design
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