- Project: Bronte Reframe House
- Architect: Still Space Architecture
- Location: Australia, Bronte, New South Wales
- Year: 2024
- Area: 265 m2
- Photography: Brett Boardman
A Coastal Home Reborn Through Sustainable Design
Located in the beachside suburb of Bronte, Sydney, the Bronte Reframe House by Still Space Architecture represents a remarkable transformation — from a dated 1980s residence into a serene, energy-efficient family home.
Under the direction of Nina Still, the renovation redefines coastal living through a synthesis of architectural restraint, thermal performance, and sustainable craft.
Known for their expertise in Passive House and environmentally responsive architecture, Still Space Architecture was commissioned to resolve the challenges of a structure once described by its owners as a “playschool house” — inefficient, noisy, and poorly insulated. The result is a modern, calm, and connected dwelling that celebrates both design intelligence and environmental sensitivity.
From Challenge to Transformation
When the family of five moved into their Bronte home, they were immediately confronted with seasonal extremes: unbearable heat in summer, cold winters, and intrusive street noise. Initially, they sought minor upgrades — acoustic treatments, façade refinements, and new windows — but the process soon revealed the need for a comprehensive rethinking of the building’s structure and performance.
The compact, sloping site, surrounded by neighboring properties, required thoughtful design to balance openness with privacy. The architectural response prioritizes natural light, cross-ventilation, and controlled views, ensuring every room maintains a visual connection to either the garden, pool, ocean, or surrounding trees.
Innovative Passive Design and Material Intelligence
Central to the project’s success is a carefully orchestrated system of passive environmental strategies that redefine the home’s thermal and acoustic quality.
Custom adjustable façade screens, fabricated from a blend of recycled plastic, rice husks, and reclaimed hardwood timber, serve as the home’s most distinctive feature. These folding screens can open to welcome light and sea breezes or close to block heat and maintain privacy — offering a flexible, living envelope that adapts to the seasons.
An airtight internal layer and an externally ventilated cavity system ensure optimal thermal stability, reducing energy demand while improving comfort. The new double-glazed windows and controlled shading further enhance insulation and acoustic calm, achieving the kind of comfort and quiet previously absent in the home.
A New Vision for Living
The renovated floor plan embodies clarity, connection, and warmth.
Blackbutt timber floors run continuously through the interiors, grounding the design with natural texture and durability.
The open-plan living, kitchen, and dining area is bathed in natural light, thanks to floor-to-ceiling glazing on the northern façade, which seamlessly merges the interior with the surrounding courtyard, pool, and landscaped garden.
The kitchen balances a minimalist aesthetic with tactile warmth — featuring recessed lighting, refined joinery, and sustainable finishes. Gas appliances were replaced with electric induction systems, and ‘cradle-to-grave’ certified tiles were specified for both kitchen and bathrooms, reinforcing the commitment to environmental responsibility.
A central staircase framed by vertical timber battens creates a sculptural centerpiece while improving spatial flow and ventilation. Above, highlight windows and skylights distribute soft daylight, enriching the home’s sense of openness and tranquility.
Material Palette and Emotional Warmth
Drawing inspiration from the pinks, greens, and tans of nearby paperbark trees, the interior palette is restrained yet expressive. Natural timber, soft neutrals, and pale surfaces work together to evoke calm — a tonal continuity that extends from the communal spaces to the private upper levels.
Upstairs, the bedrooms, study, and second living area continue this aesthetic, forming intimate yet airy spaces for relaxation and reflection. The material choices not only enhance acoustics and thermal comfort but also imbue the home with a grounded serenity that reflects Still Space Architecture’s philosophy: design as a balance between nature, craft, and well-being.
A Harmonious, Reframed Home
What was once an underperforming beach house is now a quiet, efficient, and emotionally resonant home. The renovation reframes both the architecture and the family’s daily life, enabling connection — to each other, to nature, and to place.
The owners describe the transformation as “life-changing,” noting that the light, views, and calm have given their home new meaning. The Bronte Reframe House stands as a model of sustainable suburban renewal, showing how thoughtful design can turn an aging structure into a future-focused sanctuary.
The Bronte Reframe House embodies the evolving language of sustainable coastal architecture. Through innovative material use, passive design strategies, and emotional warmth, Still Space Architecture has redefined what it means to live well in an Australian beachside context.
This project is both a technical achievement and a poetic renewal — a home that reconnects architecture with comfort, family, and the rhythm of nature.
