​Building a brand-new, custom-designed beach home is a huge life goal for many Australians. With such a vast coastline, they have no shortage of beautiful locations to do this, including the stunning Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast in southern Victoria.

Building a new home in any location is an exciting prospect but can also be challenging and a little stressful. Beach homes have their own set of unique challenges due to their exposed location and the sometimes harsh beachside climate. However, with the right planning and contractors, you can create a beach home that embraces the coastal environment and lifestyle.

If you want to build a new beach home, then learn about two important design principles that you should embrace to get the best home possible.

1. Sustainability
Sustainable design and construction have become a huge phenomenon in recent years. The World Green Building Council named Australia as one of the countries with the highest green ratings overall, particularly within the low-rise residential market. Sustainability is important to incorporate into your new home for both ethical and practical purposes.

Ethically, sustainable building is a response to increased awareness of how the sourcing and manufacturing of building materials impacts the natural environment on a local, national and global level. Sustainable building also considers how the ongoing energy needs of a home can be met without burdening the environment.

Practically, a sustainable home is cheaper to run and will cost less to heat and cool than a traditional home. With the increasing number of Australians who value sustainability in a home, your home will be more valuable and more appealing to buyers if you plan to sell it in the future.

When designing and building a sustainable beach home, here are some ideas that you can incorporate:

• Excellent insulation: This is important for both hot summer and cold winter weather.
• Window placement: This allows for passive heat gain, increased airflow, more natural light and naturally cooling ocean breeze utilisation.
  
• Renewable energy: Capitalise on the coastal sunshine and wind by harnessing energy through solar panels and wind turbines.

Talk to your building contractor about using these design and sustainability ideas for your new beach home.

2. Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the science of designing spaces and products with enhanced human interaction in mind. While people often associate the concept of ergonomics with offices and other work spaces, it's also a very valuable concept for residential design and construction. Using ergonomics will make your home easier and more enjoyable to live in.

A great example of this concept for a beach home is adding the beachside equivalent of a boot room, which is a common feature in rural homes. A beach home's boot room is a small space that's dedicated to keeping sand from the beach out of the house and storing beach equipment with easy access. Plenty of storage, a small shower room and flooring that's easy to clean are features to consider.

When you work on the design of your home, here are some questions to ask when considering how ergonomics can make your home more user- friendly:

• Who will be living there? A home will have different needs if you have small children, teenagers, elderly people or people with disabilities living there now or in the future.
• What specific lifestyle needs do you have? A home should be designed around your specific lifestyle needs, such as a space to work comfortably from home or a focus on connecting the indoor and outdoor living spaces.
• Do you need flexibility in your layout? Over time, your spatial needs may change as families grow or children move out. A flexible layout - such as partition doors that can create private spaces in an open plan living area - give you different options to choose from.

If you'd like to incorporate these design principles into your new home, contact the team at Coastyle Building Solutions. We can help you to create and construct the perfect beachside home for you and your family.

​We provide custom builds and renovations from design to completion. At every possible step of the building process, we employ local professionals and use local products. The Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast area is our home just as it is yours, and together we’ll conserve natural resources while improving the economy.
We’re a registered GreenSmart builder, and the outdoors is our passion. To help preserve the environment, we not only recycle but also reduce waste, designing and measuring carefully so we don’t use more materials than we need.
Our buildings attain high-energy ratings because of our smart devices and simple cooling methods. For example, we use methods such as sun protection and cross-ventilation to cool your home without air conditioning.
​Contact us.