South Coast Beach House Project

Client Needs

To complement the high calibre of this project, the architect and builder selected a team of specialist trades capable of delivering work that reflected the home’s refined detailing and uncompromising craftsmanship. Acacia was engaged to design and manufacture a comprehensive suite of bespoke Tallowwood doors, both internal and external, to meet the project’s exceptional architectural and performance standards.

Challenges

The suite of doors, delivered across five project stages, included hinged tongue-and-groove and shutter-style designs, culminating in a grand 3.5 m × 1.8 m tongue-and-groove clad pivot front door as the centrepiece. This dramatic entrance door features a distinctive external herringbone pattern and was installed within a custom metal frame requiring millimetre-perfect coordination between multiple suppliers to achieve seamless integration. Its scale, weight and precision tolerances presented a formidable technical challenge.

Set within finely detailed brickwork and adjoining concrete elements, the door and surrounding joinery required careful interface detailing to ensure perfect alignment and long-term performance. Each material, from timber and brick to metal and concrete, responds differently to the coastal environment, making precision and integration critical to success.

Solutions

Tallowwood, a native Australian hardwood renowned for its natural durability and stability, was selected to meet both aesthetic and environmental performance needs. Acacia’s craftsmanship and deep understanding of the timber’s working properties ensured the doors met stringent structural, functional and visual requirements.

Comprehensive shop drawings were a key component in achieving this level of precision. Developed early in the process, they resolved complex interfaces and served as a shared reference for all trades involved.

Early and open collaboration with the architect, builder and associated trades ensured the joinery could be installed flawlessly. Precision integration of Acacia’s custom doors within the detailed brick and concrete construction was achieved through careful sequencing and consistent communication with site teams, ensuring the architectural intent was fully realised.

Outcome

The completed home stands as a powerful example of architecture, craftsmanship and material integrity in harmony. In choosing Acacia, the teams at Casey Brown Architecture and Lime Building found a trusted local partner who shared their commitment to collaboration and excellence.

Acacia’s Tallowwood doors enrich the home’s bold geometry, bringing warmth and natural tactility to the sculptural brickwork, concrete and copper elements. The striking pivot entry door provides a seamless, commanding first impression, setting the tone for the refined detailing carried throughout the residence.

“Working with Acacia on the South Coast Beach House was a fantastic experience. Their shop drawings are some of the best I’ve come across—clear, detailed and full of practical advice that made the process smooth from start to finish. The craftsmanship, from the three-and-a-half-metre front door to the timber detailing throughout, is outstanding and will hold up beautifully in the home’s coastal environment. Most importantly, the collaboration was seamless, with everything delivered on time and to the highest standard.”

Rob Brown, Casey Brown Architects, Principal Architect

South Coast Beach House

Project Details

Project Overview