The west coast home with a zen-like sensibility

One of the exceptional aspects of living in Australia is public access to foreshore areas. From beach promenades to riverside cycleways, being able to freely enjoy the waterways, beaches and parklands is something that many Australians hold dear.

However, for those fortunate enough to live by the water and enjoy the sometimes breathtaking views, it has its drawbacks, especially if your home is not designed to manage being in such a public position.

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The owners of this property overlooking Swan Canning Riverpark in South Perth had recently decided to buy a home in the city to be closer to their extended family of children and grandchildren. But while they love the views across the park to the Swan River and the city beyond, the strata title property left something to be desired.

Built in the 1980s, it lent heavily on floor-to-ceiling glass windows and downlighting, creating a goldfish bowl-like experience for those living within.

The property has exceptional waterfront views. The design has reached a balance between capturing the vista and managing privacy. Image: Dion Robeson

In addition to the need for privacy, project architect Suzanne Hunt says the owners wanted to create a sense of sanctuary for their home, citing peace and quiet as a high priority. They also required a home that would allow them to live in comfort and safety as they grew older, while still being stylish.

“The strata unit as it was would not allow them to age in place — it was all shiny tiles,” says Hunt. “I suggested we look at some new options that would give us the opportunity to really investigate doing a house that was smaller but had all the details they love.”

The palette is neutral and limited with multiple but interconnected living areas. Image: Dion Robeson Styling: Anna Flanders

Hunt had previously designed their existing home, a sprawling property in the Perth Hills, which had reflected the owners’ affinity with Japanese design. Given the city site had neighbours on or close to both boundaries and strata rules about height and setbacks were fixed, a Japanese approach to the design was an obvious match. It would also meet the owners’ desire for a serene environment.

“Japanese design has a calmness,” says Hunt. “There are minimal materials and the interior design is architectural.

“The beauty is in the architecture, like timber battens on the walls.”

Starting from scratch, Hunt designed a two-bedroom, single-level home using a pared back palette made up primarily of timber, stone, concrete and glass.

“Everything in the house is calming, simple and highly crafted with a Japanese influence,” she says.

The house has a Japanese sensibility, with wider doorways and seamless thresholds to allow the owners to age in place. Image: Dion Robeson Styling: Anna Flanders

Thresholds are seamless, doorways have been designed to be wide enough for wheelchairs to easily pass through and fixtures like taps do not require twisting to function. Skirting height sensor lights mark common pathways, like from the garage to the living space, to improve safety without compromising the interior design aesthetic.

“The lighting has been designed to make life easier for them,” she says. “It’s very subtle. One of the owners has sight issues because of cataracts, so glaring light is really bad.”

Because of the narrow nature of the site, drawing light into the north west-facing house was always going to be a challenge. Hunt designed three internal courtyards with retractable doors placed at different points throughout the floorplan to allow in light and improve ventilation. These internal gardens also serve to bring a natural element into the house, connecting it to the parklands outside.

“The courtyards are on the west side and the east side,” Hunt says. “They have shade blinds controlled via remote control to go out over the whole courtyard to protect the plants when it is really bright light.

“They are all plants the owner has nurtured in her greenhouse so we had instant gardens.”

The flexibility of the design allows the owners to close the house off when the wind picks up while keeping all the internal spaces

Australia’s housing crisis will not be solved by first-home buyer incentives or tax changes alone, with leading property figures warning governments must tackle supply constraints if affordability is to improve.

Speaking at the Kanebridge Quarterly Property Leadership Summit in Sydney last week, expert project marketing specialist Sam Elbanna, property investor and fund manager Paul Miron and property consultant Karla McNeice said that a lack of housing supply remained the central issue facing the market.

Elbanna, Director of CPM Realty with more than 30 years’ experience in project sales, argued that successive governments had focused too heavily on stimulating demand rather than addressing the barriers preventing new housing from being delivered.

“The misconception is that politicians think the way to solve the housing crisis is to drive demand,” he said.

“The reality is that’s not the way. This is a supply-side problem, and it needs to be solved on the supply side.”

Drawing on his experience in project sales, Elbanna said policies designed to help first-home buyers often had unintended consequences, pointing to previous grants that ultimately flowed through to higher property prices.

Instead, he said developers were facing increasing red tape, approval delays and rising costs, which were discouraging new housing supply.

“In the absence of stock, demand exceeds supply,” he said.

Miron, a Co-Founder and Fund Manager of Msquared Capital, said the housing debate had become overly focused on tax policy while overlooking broader structural issues.

He argued that affordability challenges stemmed from a combination of factors, including planning constraints, supply shortages, migration levels and interest rates.

“No-one can be 100 per cent certain on the real reason for property prices is going up,” he said.

“The reason why property prices are higher is a combination of interest rates, lack of supply, migration, vacancy rates and maybe taxes play a role.”

Miron was critical of recent federal housing policy changes, warning they could reduce the number of new homes being built and further constrain supply that was even highlighted in the budget.

He also highlighted the importance of the property sector to the broader economy, noting that residential real estate and related industries employed more than one million Australians.

McNeice, who advises developers on sales strategy and market intelligence, said understanding buyers had become increasingly important as affordability pressures intensified.

While affordability remained a major consideration, she said today’s buyers were focused on value rather than simply price.

“People are looking for value for money,” she said.

She said buyers were increasingly evaluating factors such as transport connections, walkability, nearby amenities and flexible living spaces that could accommodate changing family needs.

“What infrastructure is going on? Can I walk to the shops? Can I meet people at the local cafe?” she said.

The panel also discussed the mounting pressures facing developers, with Elbanna arguing that many projects become financially unviable from the moment a site is purchased.

“The viability of a development happens at the moment the site is bought,” he said.

He said rising construction costs, higher interest rates and overly optimistic feasibility assumptions had left some developers exposed as market conditions changed.

While acknowledging the growing number of smaller and first-time developers entering the market, Elbanna said property development required expertise across finance, construction, marketing and legal disciplines.

“It is actually a business that requires a level of expertise,” he said.

Looking ahead, the panel agreed opportunities remained in the market despite current challenges.

Miron said property should continue to be viewed as a long-term investment and cautioned against trying to time short-term market movements.

McNeice said success would increasingly depend on identifying projects that genuinely met changing buyer expectations.

Elbanna said affordable housing remained achievable, but developers needed to deliver more than just homes.

“We can provide affordable housing in this country,” he said.

“But we’ve got to wrap that affordable housing with the things that people want.”

As Australia’s housing affordability debate intensifies, the panellists agreed on one point: without a meaningful increase in housing supply, demand-side measures alone are unlikely to solve the nation’s property challenges.

The west coast home with a zen-like sensibility

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Australia’s housing affordability crisis is being fuelled by chronic undersupply, planning delays and rising development costs, as politicians continue to focus on the wrong solutions.