“One of the joys of living on the northern NSW coast is waking up early in the morning and walking through the Casuarinas onto the beach while a light south westerly gently whips the top off paper thin waves that glisten with all varieties of sea life. These are my earliest memories of ‘Hedges Avenue’ Mermaid Beach or Noosa Heads in the 1950’s.
In Casuarina Beach, we have left the high-rise and air-conditioned pretend Tuscany monsters to recreate the authentic Australian coastal village.”
– John Mainwaring, architect.


Concept

Based on the idea of the original coastal holiday village. The simple linear layout contains accommodation, recreational and commercial facilities sitting either side of a ‘village laneway’, which is a pedestrian/vehicular, shared precinct. The integrated, mixed-use village allows patrons to access restaurant, coffee and fresh food conveniences without driving the car. There are tennis courts, gym facilities, and swimming pools, combined with a multi purpose hall reminiscent of the old building types that accompanied Australian seaside towns of yesteryear. This social gathering hub will give the small holiday resort a heart, or sense of place and strong identification from the surrounding roads. There is an emphasis on pedestrian connection to bikeways and walkways that lead to neighbouring sports ovals, parks and the beach.


They have been designed on a multiple space format so that recurrent costs such as cleaning are kept to minimum and they have been set up to maximize return on investment. Ceiling heights have been increased from the absolute minimums.

Architectural Expression

The architectural philosophy is centred on a northeasterly aspect, orientation and the shape and physical characteristics of the site itself. Built design and landscape are intertwined to create an indoor/outdoor spacial environment of light and shade. The simple layout of the masterplan footprint makes wayfinding very legible. The design embodies the informality of the original beach shack yet embodies an elegance for contemporary living.

www.casuarinabeach.com.au