Northern Exposure

Warm turquoise waters, clear blue skies, dazzling white sands; Mission Beach, in Australia’s tropical north, is a picture postcard made real. But, as the locals will tell you, there’s a price to pay for living in paradise.

Known as Mason House, this stunning property enjoys an absolute tropical beach-front, with world-famous Dunk Island visible to the east through an idyllic grove of coconut palms. Little wonder that the owners were so keen to connect their home with the great outdoors. The down side? During the summer months, cyclones pose a very real threat to life and property in the region.

Building designers, Kidd & Co, were tasked with creating a home that balanced aesthetic excellence with a keen respect for the brute force of Mother Nature. For more than 30 years, the company’s founder, Stephen Kidd, has designed unique and spectacular award-winning waterfront, beachfront and hinterland homes, resorts and commercial properties. His challenge here was to deliver an unobstructed view while simultaneously protecting the home’s internal areas from cyclonic exposure. Through an ingenious combination of sliding doors, louvres and sophisticated water drainage systems, he has achieved just that. The products were sourced from Keilbach Joinery, manufacturers of Vantage and Elevate™, and a company with which Kidd & Co had previously achieved great project outcomes.

As with any project, it was imperative that the designer, builder and fabricator all knew exactly what needed to be done in relation to concrete-floor rebates, door installation and finishing. AWS began by drawing up detailed window and door plans which addressed these issues.

To take complete advantage of the ocean views and tropical breezes, the upper and lower floors needed to open onto the eastern and western outdoor living areas. To achieve a seamless flow between the home’s interior and its lush surroundings, wide opening Elevate™ Aluminium Systems sliding doors were installed across the face of the building. The multi-stacking panels cleverly slide into one parked area to create a dramatic wide opening, while the illusion of interconnection is heightened even further by the addition of flush sills. Effective water drainage was a key factor in ensuring these sills were both functional and beautiful.

As we all know, high winds and glass don’t mix. So, instead of glass, the building utilises bifold windows and louvre galleries fitted with timber louvre blades. The Bi-folds are fitted with operable louvres, while standard louvres are used extensively throughout the rest of the property. Together, they work perfectly to create an illusion of unbroken line. The children’s wing also incorporates a bifold window with operable louvres, to achieve both privacy and security. These bifolds can be conveniently opened to allow northerly exposure.

Products used include Series 50 Multi-Stacking Sliding Doors, Series 525 Louvres, and Series 410 Bi-fold Door and Series 410 Bi-fold Window with Breezeway Louvre Inserts.

By respecting the elements, addressing the needs of the property’s owners, and maximising exposure to the surrounding tropical splendour, this building is clearly right at home.