Ramsgate House, Bondi Beach, Sydney real estate

Ramsgate House on Bondi Beach

20 May 2026

Location: Bondi Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Design: Common Office

photo © Anson Smart

Photos: Anson Smart

Sydney-based practice Common Office has completed Ramsgate House, a four-storey permanent residence adjacent to Bondi Beach. Commissioned by a young couple with a family, the project was born from a brief requesting a home that felt deeply “of its place” in Bondi, while simultaneously serving as a private, intimate retreat. The site’s proximity to one of Australia’s most popular tourist attractions became the project’s defining design parameter.

This villa responds directly to its site by balancing domestic privacy with its public surroundings. The project represents a complex and intricate planning strategy that involved multiple applications, modifications, and negotiations with the council. A key consideration was convincing the council that the building was appropriate for the local context. This involved detailed discussions regarding the rhythm and number of arches to ensure the best outcome for the streetscape.

photo © Anson Smart

The design reinterprets the classical loggia as both a formal and spatial device, drawing reference from the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana and the loggia’s history as a ubiquitous architectural tool from classical antiquity to modernism. Introducing a series of arches, the design establishes a thickened, inhabitable threshold between the streetscape of North Bondi and the interior.

“We conceptualised the home as situated somewhere between Bondi and Miami,” notes the practice. “We wanted to portray a sense of street-facing ornament that was simultaneously pared back to speak an Art Deco language.”

photo © Anson Smart

The building is constructed using traditional double (and in some instances, triple-skin) brick. Along the primary facade, these arches are formed naturally through the masonry and operate as load-bearing structural elements. They frame views, light, and quiet moments of occupation, mediating visibility between the house and the public realm. The loggia operates as an intermediate condition, offering shade and spatial depth while addressing the climatic demands of the coastal setting.

Internally, the curved geometry of the arch unfolds into a sinuous four-storey stairwell that draws natural light through the house. This vertical sequence culminates in a copper-clad pavilion at the upper level, where the client can gather and entertain, with elevated eastern views toward the beach and ocean. This upper volume’s copper cladding is designed to be dynamic, constantly changing in its texture and appearance over time.

photo © Anson Smart

To the rear, the arched motif reappears to frame articulated steel windows within a stucco facade. Northern light fills a double-height living area that opens onto a pool and garden planted with native species.

Designed in collaboration with Handelsman + Khaw, the interiors amplify the spatial and atmospheric qualities of the architecture through a carefully calibrated palette of muted, sun-washed finishes, selected for durability and responsiveness to the coastal climate.

photo © Anson Smart

The project incorporates passive environmental strategies through the use of deep reveals and thickened thresholds, which mitigate solar gain and reduce overheating. Native planting further supports the local ecological context, while the spatial configuration promotes natural light and ventilation.

Ramsgate House in New South Wales, Australia – Building Information

Architects: Common Office – https://common-office.com/
Project Name: Ramsgate House
Location: 92 Ramsgate Avenue, Bondi Beach, Sydney NSW 2026, Australia
Traditional Owners: Bidjigal, Birrabirragal and Gadigal people
Floor Area: 516.8 sqm

Site Area: 477.3 sqm
Completion Date: 12 December 2025

Project Credits
Project Team
Rob Meyerson, Lead Architect
William J McKee, Lead Architect
Michael Cho, Project Designer
Manuel Hankoo, Graduate Architect

Consultants
Builder: Ivison Constructions
Structural Engineer: ABVD
Services Engineer: ERBAS
Project Manager: Richard Pajor, Cardo Projects
Interior Designer: Handelsman + Khaw
Planner: GSA Planning
Landscape: Myles Baldwin Design

About Common Office
Common Office was founded on an interest in interiors, buildings, urbanism, and territory. Emerging out of a body of work that ranges between domestic and large scale urban design proposals, the office is committed to making buildings, design research, and speculative work.

Current work includes a series of houses, housing projects, the design of a furniture line, communal buildings, and research initiatives. All projects are treated as equal, regardless of scale, program, or requirements. The design process is rigorous, and the Office believes that organisation and clarity are crucial to achieving projects that actively contribute to both urban and domestic life.

Common Office is Rob Meyerson, William J McKee, Ian Lowrie, Janice Leng, Michael Cho, Yuyan Zhang, Winnie Qiao, Alicia Wong, Elaine Wang, and Julien Provost

Nominated NSW Architect William J McKee NSW ARB 12651

photos © Anson Smart