The two pavilions of this wonderful new house remind us of the simple fibro beach houses of the 1950s and 1960s, iconic settings for summer holidays on the South Coast. Generous light-filled rooms and lofty ceilings give this thoroughly modern house a welcoming ‘laid back’ feeling. This is the perfect backdrop for decades of large or small family gatherings or quiet weekends. An informal gravel track overhung with gums, acacias and hakeas brings you from the street to the private battleaxe block. The classic dry coastal woodland canopy supplies the house and garden with dappled light, and the prevailing coastal breezes ripple through the tree tops. The northeast orientation brings morning light into the living and sleeping spaces. You are within five minutes walk of both the main beach and the surf beach and there is easy access to Broulee island and to the weekly Moruya markets. Once here, the car is forgotten and many adventures are within walking distance. The brief was for a coastal retreat that would be low maintenance and low in energy use, flexible in its accommodation for a range of family and friendship group compositions, and would avoid any sense of preciousness that might prevent the house from being intensively used and shared. The informal nature of the house is demonstrated in its hot and cold outdoor showers, the plywood floors and ceilings, its commercial style kitchen benches and the ability to open up the main pavilion on both sides to link indoor space with the timber decks outside. This sustainable house combines passive and active energy efficiency. A 15000 litre water tank with a submersible pump brings rain water to the toilets, garden taps and washing machine. A high efficiency refrigerator, gas cooktop and an instantaneous gas hot water system minimise energy usage, particularly when the house is not occupied. Passive measures include double glazing with wall, floor and ceiling insulation above that required by Code. Careful siting maximises winter sola