Designing for a coastal life

Just 250 metres from Perth’s Scarborough Beach, 200 West Coast Highway rethinks the conventional residential high-rise through a form shaped by its coastal setting, climate and views.

The 246-apartment community is a first for the area, providing 37 affordable rental homes and marking our first collaboration in Western Australia with local practice Plus Studio.

At the heart of our design is a pinwheel plan that articulates the tower into four distinct forms.

This approach creates opportunities for daylight to penetrate deeper into communal circulation spaces, supports cross-ventilation and opens up framed views towards both the Indian Ocean and the Perth city skyline, making natural light and airflow part of residents’ everyday experience.

The result is a building that gives a strong 360-degree presence, and the form is doing more than creating a visual identity. Its shape is directly connected to how people experience the building, from the way they move through it to the views, light and air they encounter along the way for a healthier and active lifestyle.

Deep, generous balconies extend this thinking beyond the building’s form. Providing space for outdoor dining and living, they also act as a protective veil, offering shade and shelter to the apartments while responding to the demands of the coastal environment.

At ground level, a landscaped pocket park creates a more sheltered arrival from West Coast Highway. Above, a series of shared resident amenities culminates in a rooftop pool and lounge overlooking the ocean.

For Howells, the project presents an opportunity to explore how high-density, high-rise residential development can remain grounded to its setting and connected to the everyday lives of its residents. In a coastal environment like Scarborough, this means allowing the landscape, climate and views to inform the architectural approach from the outset. The project also draws on our international experience across Australia, including our work in Brisbane, bringing a broader perspective to the opportunities and challenges of designing for this unique context.