Merricks Beach, Victoria

Chameleon Architecture recently created a distinctive holiday house in Merricks Beach (near Hastings, Victoria) with the innovative use of a Danpalon polycarbonate feature wall. The material choice was driven by the desire for privacy, thermal protection and translucent daylight, with the aesthetic advantages of Danpalon being an added bonus. Architect Campbell Drake explains that “the building adopts the local ‘fibro beach shack’ building language common to the area but Danpalon replaces cement sheeting in the north walls to allow maximum sunlight within the rooms”. Given the requirement for a 5 star energy rating for new Victorian buildings, two layers of Danpalon 16mm ice were adopted as an alternative to glazing because of the superior thermal properties available. The panels were fixed to hardwood studs at 600mm centres. Both internal and external skins were reverse fixed to provide a flush seamless finish both inside and out. Danpalon was able transcend its functional use as translucent insulation to provide a visually intriguing façade with reference to the history of the location. “At the rear of the site a grove of twisted tea trees once stood,” Campbell explains. “A silhouette of the tea tree grove was developed as a laser cut vinyl graphic and installed to the inside of the Danpalon panels. The graphic creates a ‘ghosting affect’ of the tea tree, embedded within the wall cavity. During the day the trees are barely visible. During the night - when back-lit by the house lights - the forest comes alive as though the trees are growing up through the bedrooms”. The result is a house that visually spectacular whilst remaining well-suited to its surrounding environment during the day and at night.