For their suburban plot near a coastal, dune-and-wetland reserve in Byron Bay, Australia, the clients approached Vokes and Peters to design a modest, one-level home in which they could easily age in place. As the cofounders and former chair of the Byron Writers Festival, the owners also sought to engage with their vast book collection. To that end, “much of the custom-designed, built-in furniture in the house is designed for either storing books, showing books, or reading/enjoying books,” says the firm.

Part of the challenge in designing a one-level home is what the architects term the “fat plan,” meaning the house’s resulting depth may prevent natural light and cross-ventilation from reaching all of the interior spaces.

Their solution? To pierce the walls and roof with natural light whenever possible. They also arranged the home around a backyard courtyard, letting rooms further benefit from a natural exchange of light and air.

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Project Credits:

Architect: Vokes and Peters / @stuart_vokesandpeters and @aaron_vokesandpeters)

Builder: Todd Knaus Constructions

Structural Engineer: Westera Partners

Civil Engineer: H Design

Landscape Design: Tim Hays Garden Design

Lighting Design: Gray Light

Interior Design: Vokes and Peters