The Outlook at Phegans Bay

Phegans Bay is one of those Central Coast locations where the beauty of the setting is matched by the complexity of building on it. The site sits elevated above Brisbane Water, offering sweeping views across the bay, but it falls within a bushfire prone area with significant vegetation to the rear. Designing a duplex here meant satisfying bushfire attack level requirements while ensuring both dwellings could enjoy the water views that make the site special.

Bushfire design is often treated as a problem to be solved with ugly shutters and bare earth clearance zones. I approached it differently. The building form itself becomes the defence: solid masonry walls to the bushfire prone side, minimal openings where radiant heat exposure is highest, and ember screening integrated into the facade rather than applied as an afterthought. The result is a building that looks intentional and composed from the bush side, not defensive.

Both dwellings are oriented to maximise the northerly sun and the water views simultaneously. Living areas occupy the upper level where the outlook is most dramatic, with full height glazing framing Brisbane Water and the distant ridgeline beyond. Bedrooms sit below, partially embedded into the slope, staying naturally cool in summer thanks to the earth contact on three sides. Each dwelling has its own entrance, garage and private outdoor area, so the two households live independently despite sharing a roofline.

The elevation of the site, which creates the views, also creates engineering challenges. The building steps down the slope in a series of terraced platforms, with retaining walls that double as garden beds for fire resistant plantings. The materiality is robust: concrete, steel and timber chosen for their bushfire resistance as well as their visual warmth. From the water below, the building reads as two elegant forms nestled into the hillside, belonging to the landscape rather than imposed upon it.