The Pole House

In pole position on the Great Ocean Road, sits the iconic Pole House. Built originally in the late 1970s, this experimental beach house recently fell victim to old age. The owners decided to demolish the entire house and rebuild, creating a luxury feel throughout the property.

Franco Fiorentini from F2 Architecture was given the opportunity to renovate this home. The brief was to open the place up and maximise the southern view. Franco Fiorentini wanted to take full advantage of the ocean views, making them visible throughout the home.

The home is only 8 metres by 8 metres in size and has been strategically engineered to ensure complete safety and comfort. The Pole House sits on a 700mm slab which tapers towards the edge, balanced on a 15 metre high column. 

Due to the home’s beachside location and height, it is exposed to all the elements including sea salt, heavy rain and wind with speeds up to 100km per hour. Solid, reliable materials were required for this home to ensure longevity and structural integrity.

The team from Bradfords Glass and Aluminium (BGA) assisted in the design process to ensure the architects’ and clients' brief was met. BGA provided advice and expertise to ensure all windows and doors were correct in regards to the home’s unusual application.

ThermalHEART™ commercial aluminium windows and doors were used throughout the Pole House to ensure the project met required energy ratings. Due to the large expanses of glazing throughout this home, the system was required to ensure protection from the extremely cold winter temperatures coming off Bass Straight, as well as the sun’s heat piercing through the home throughout summer.

Double Glazed Low-E Glass coupled with the ThermalHEART™ aluminium systems ensured the tenants are able to enjoy a 360 degree view whilst not jeopardising energy requirements. All doors are completely retractable for a seamless view of the ocean front.