The Seaford Life Saving Club by Robert Simeoni Architects

This community facility is located on the edge of a long public beach over a primary sand dune nearby to the suburb of Seaford, Victoria. Although the building’s main functions are to provide surveillance to the beach for safety purposes and storage of beach craft, a cafe and additional weather-protected meeting areas have also been catered for. This site-sensitive building is composed of a generally suspended timber structure with timber and glass infill walls. Timber batten screens and fully operable walls allow the building to open up and close down as necessary. Careful and consistent timber detailing has produced an understated building incorporating appropriate connections to the views, as well as to the pedestrian routes from Seaford.

The Seaford Life Saving Club by Robert Simeoni Architects has recently been awarded an Australian Institute of Architects Award for Public Architecture. As stated in the jury citation: “The Seaford Life Saving Club is exceptional. It is a refined, cost-effective and sensitive work of architecture in an area of practice where these qualities are rarely, if ever, achieved.” [Photos: Brendan Finn]