Burleigh’s New Architectural Gem: A Contemporary Coastal Masterpiece
The reimagining of this Burleigh Heads beach house into a sophisticated designer residence has seen this home transported into the 2020s with class.
2 min
Burleigh Heads is fast becoming an address associated with enviable contemporary architecture, and the latest listing with Ray White Malan & Co fits the designer brief.
Lawyer Jess Fitzgerald bought a classic brick bungalow five years ago and set about transforming the old school property into a modern dream home, only 400m from Burleigh’s coveted coastline.
Recently finished, the near new four-bedroom, three-bathroom residence at 1 Symonds Rd is a stylish take on the 21st century beach house designed by local architect Jayson Pate.
Pate, a former Southport Sharks AFL footballer and a survivor of the 2002 Bali bombings, is making waves as a Gold Coast designer known for his signature use of slab work, curves and free-flowing indoor-outdoor spaces.
Bought in 2020 for $965,000 prior to its epic transformation, the home, on 440sq m, is due to go under the hammer on February 7. In keeping with Queensland regulations regarding auction pricing, there is no guide on offer.
Pleased with the end result, the Fitzgeralds are now moving on with an even greater knockdown rebuild reinvention by Pate nearby.
Inspired by a Palm Springs aesthetic, the Symonds Rd home features a natural earthy colour palette with sophisticated finishes.
Crafted for everyday living that can move effortlessly into glamorous entertaining when the mood strikes, the spacious ground floor layout is home to a sleek kitchen complete with SMEG integrated appliances, a large central island bench, a big butler’s pantry and a stylish arched bar nook incorporating a wine fridge.
With warm oak timber floors throughout, the combined dining and lounge zone spills out to a covered alfresco space that is the perfect gathering place for friends and family. There is an integrated barbecue, manicured low-maintenance gardens, honed concrete surfaces, custom sliding screens, and a refreshing magnesium swimming pool.
Down on the ground floor, the guest bedroom also has a private ensuite, plus a view of the pool and gardens.
Upstairs, a second living space anchors the footprint with two bedrooms featuring walk-in wardrobes and sharing a family-friendly bathroom with a freestanding tub and two handy vanities.
In the palatial main bedroom there is a dressing room, as well as an ensuite with dual showers and basins.
Created with the latest in meticulous design finishes, the home has a convenient mud room with ample storage and bench seating, a powder room with Venetian rendering, a purpose-built desk in the lounge room, ducted air-conditioning, a Hikvision intercom system, and a secure gated entrance with a double car port.
Positioned in the coveted pocket known among real estate agents as the “Burleigh triangle” the house is close to beaches, eateries and bars.
Number 1 Symonds Rd, Burleigh Heads is listed with Ray White Malan & Co agents, Conner Malan on 0419 706 296 and Daniel Donovan on 0431 649 784. The home is to go to auction on February 7.
For Central Element, the start of work at Pearl represents another step in the company’s growing eastern suburbs pipeline.
All three vehicles will form part of a broader charitable initiative benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the American Red Cross and Starlight Children’s Foundation
Completed in 2025 by Wolveridge Architects and S. Smith Builders, this extraordinary 51-acre Mornington Peninsula estate combines award-recognised architecture, genuine farming infrastructure and remarkable self-sufficiency.
4 min
A long, winding driveway beneath mature gums provides the first indication that The Farm is not a conventional Mornington Peninsula country property.
Rather than immediately revealing the residence, the approach follows the contours of the landscape, moving through established woodland before the house emerges in a secluded clearing at 515 Tucks Road, Shoreham.
Completed in 2025, the five-bedroom estate has now been listed through Buxton’s James Redfern and Holly Longmuir with expressions of interest and an indicative price range of $18 million to $19.8 million.
At the upper end of that guide, the property could establish a new residential record for Shoreham. The existing benchmark has been reported at $16.5 million.
Set across approximately 20.64 hectares—or about 51 acres—The Farm is a contemporary interpretation of the Australian rural homestead, designed by Wolveridge Architects and constructed by award-winning Mornington Peninsula builder S. Smith Builders.
The property’s vendors, builders Vicki and Steve Smith, reportedly acquired the land through Smith Investments Australia for $4.2 million in 2019. They moved into the completed home in April 2025 and are now selling as they prepare to relocate to Portsea.
A farmhouse reduced to two buildings
Rather than allowing the estate to develop as a scattered collection of rural structures, Wolveridge Architects consolidated its principal functions into two carefully positioned buildings: the main residence and a substantial farm shed.
The structures face a broad central forecourt and sit within a larger composition of native woodland, productive pasture and views towards Western Port Bay.
It is an approach informed by the way Australian farms traditionally evolve, but made more deliberate. Instead of accumulated sheds and outbuildings, the property presents as a resolved architectural precinct.
The principal residence spans approximately 638 square metres. Its defining feature is an inverted radial roofline supported by a visible grid of ironbark posts and beams.
The roof rises towards the tree canopy and open sky, lending an unexpected lightness to a house of considerable scale. Blackbutt cladding, extensive glazing and timber detailing further soften the relationship between the building and its surroundings.
Wolveridge Architects describes the property’s location as Bunurong country and credits Jerry Wolveridge, Laura Tindall and Jessica Corbett as members of the project team.
The Farm was shortlisted in the New House Over 200 Square Metres category of the 2026 Houses Awards and in the Living Space category of the 2026 INDE Awards. Its published architectural photography is by Jack Carlin.
Designed around the landscape
Throughout the house, long internal sightlines and carefully framed openings maintain a connection with the surrounding gums, paddocks and distant water.
The central living, dining and kitchen space sits beneath soaring timber-lined ceilings. A monumental fireplace formed from Dromana granite anchors the room, while a second wood-burning fireplace serves a more intimate living zone.
The kitchen combines stained Tasmanian oak cabinetry with Austral Dream Dolomite and Pilbara Green Dolomite surfaces. A suite of Swiss V-Zug appliances supports its practical role, while a temperature-controlled, timber-lined wine cellar provides a dedicated space for collectors.
Belgian French oak flooring, Swiss wool carpet, Eco Outdoor stone paving, brushed-nickel fittings and extensive custom joinery continue the natural, materially rich palette.
A sheltered internal courtyard introduces northern light into the centre of the floor plan. Conceived as a protected garden within the wider landscape, it provides an outdoor space removed from the property’s more exposed rural environment.
The architecture repeatedly shifts between those two conditions: the openness of a large rural holding and the security of carefully protected interior and courtyard spaces.
A resort within a working estate
The Farm’s lifestyle credentials extend well beyond its principal living areas.
A fully tiled 14-metre swimming pool and adjoining spa sit within landscaped surrounds, creating a private resort zone connected to multiple outdoor entertaining spaces.
The grounds include indigenous planting, native woodland and productive pasture, together with approximately 591 metres of frontage to Stony Creek.
A separate 216-square-metre farm shed, fencing, cattle infrastructure, water systems and multiple access points ensure the estate has genuine rural capability. This is not merely a large house styled to resemble a farm.
Technology has been integrated throughout the property via a Control4 system governing lighting, climate, security, gates, blinds, irrigation and pool functions. The house also includes hydronic heating, zoned reverse-cycle airconditioning, motorised window furnishings, monitored security, video intercom and Starlink connectivity.
Its sustainability infrastructure is similarly substantial. More than 235,000 litres of water storage is paired with a 70-panel, 30.8kWp solar system, Tesla Powerwall battery storage and electric-vehicle charging.
The result is a house capable of delivering the comfort and automation expected of a contemporary trophy residence while maintaining a high degree of self-sufficiency.
That balance may be The Farm’s greatest achievement. Despite its scale, luxury finishes and extensive technology, the residence does not attempt to overpower its setting.
Its architecture instead directs attention outwards—to the tree canopy, the cattle in the paddocks, Western Port Bay and the changing conditions of the surrounding landscape.
For buyers seeking a private Mornington Peninsula estate with architectural credibility and room for a genuine rural life, The Farm represents one of the region’s most compelling new offerings.
The Farm at a glance
- Address: 515 Tucks Road, Shoreham, Victoria
- Property type: Acreage/semi-rural estate
- Price guide: $18 million to $19.8 million
- Sale method: Expressions of interest
- Bedrooms: Five
- Bathrooms: Five
- Parking: Five cars
- Land: Approximately 20.64 hectares or 51 acres
- Residence: Approximately 638sqm
- Farm shed: Approximately 216sqm
- Architect: Wolveridge Architects
- Builder: S. Smith Builders
- Completed: 2025
- Pool: Fully tiled 14-metre pool with adjoining spa
- Creek frontage: Approximately 591 metres to Stony Creek
- Water storage: More than 235,000 litres
- Energy: 70-panel, 30.8kWp solar system with Tesla Powerwall storage
- Selling agents: James Redfern and Holly Longmuir, Buxton Mornington Peninsula–Flinders
- Listing: View the live property campaign
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