Verandah House Merricks Beach, Mornington Peninsula weekend residence, Victoria holiday home

Verandah House, Merricks Beach, Mornington Peninsula Home

2 February 2025

Architects: Homes by Artisan, Ben Callery Architects

Location: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia

Photos: Marnie Hawson

Verandah House, Mornington Peninsula, Australia

Verandah House is a generational beach house with a nostalgic view of beach shack holidays of the past, while being a beautiful, naturally comfortable and energy-efficient holiday home for a large extended family to enjoy into the future.

The brief was to turn the mid-century beach shack into a multi-generational beach house that would be used by Gai and Peter most weekends and their three adult offspring, and their families, for years to come.

With a growing albeit close family, providing a place where everyone can comfortably come together for family holidays was important.
They wanted it to be environmentally friendly, energy efficient and high performance, but retain the charm of the original shack.

It just said ‘beach house’ and walking in, you couldn’t help but relax. It was a welcoming embrace, as you kick off your shoes and the holiday begins.

It wasn’t heritage and didn’t have to be retained, but it was a cool little piece of the modest, but adventurous, beach shack vernacular of the Mornington Peninsula.

We wanted the spirit of the nolstalgic beach holidays of previous generations to pervade the new part of the house and be enjoyed for years to come.

The new addition is inspired by the original in terms of form architecturally and informality of living.

The verandah’s pitched roof form is replicated in the new rear addition but lengthened and heightened to frame views of trees, draw in winter sun and make a grand space for large groups of family members to gather.

Raking down dramatically on the sides it also makes cosy informal spaces to gather round the fire, play, chat, or simply relax on your own.
The house has two distinct wings. The original was renovated to become a wing for adult off-spring and their kids.

The addition includes a new first floor containing the main bedroom / retreat for Gai and Peter. A place to occasionally escape the chaos have your own space. In the treetops and bathed in morning light, it is a sanctuary for the grandparents.

The two wings come together in the new Living room, big enough for large groups but also intimate for when its just Gai and Peter there.
The house can expand and contract, the kids’ wing can be shut off when not needed, effectively leaving a small two storey, one bedroom house for Gai and Peter to occupy energy efficiently.

The house is all electric in operation. Windows are placed to bring in the prevailing cooling southerly breezes and warming winter sun.

What elements of the original mid-century verandah where most influential in the design of the Verandah House extension?

The inspiration for the new addition is the original mid-century verandah, a wonderfully unique space with a pitched roof framing views of trees and drawing in winter sun. It was open air, with only flyscreens spanning between the slender structure, drawing in cooling summer breezes.

Architects: Homes by Artisan – https://www.homesbyartisan.com.au/ and Ben Callery Architects – https://www.bencallery.com.au/