The cake-shaped home that reimagines what a beach house can be
A 60-year-old beach house shaped like a slice of cake without icing has been a Mollymook landmark for generations, particularly for surfers looking for a break on that stretch of the NSW South Coast.
Shortlisted in two categories in the 2025 NSW Architecture awards, the redesign of Cake House could become an exemplar for how to turn a draughty beach house that was expensive to heat and cool into a solar-powered home habitable year-round.
Architect Alexander Symes said the home's distinctive roofline had made it a beacon.
'Because it is a cake-shaped piece, it became affectionately known as the break in front of Cakey. Surfers would say 'the surf is breaking really well in front of Cakey', or '100 metres to the north of Cakey'.'
The design of the 175 square metre holiday home by Alexander Symes Architect that sleeps 17 people makes sustainable architecture fun.
Sliding double-glazed doors open in living areas to turn a semicircular dining table into a full circle that seats more than a dozen. Nets for children to climb on hang high above the bunk beds. Gold leaf paint on the peak of the roof makes the local icon sparkle in the morning sun. Wide steps lead to a fire pit and the beach. A spread of surfboards lean against the Australian hardwood.
Shortlisted in the alterations/additions and the sustainable categories of the NSW awards, Cakey was once clad in aluminium – 'like living in a tent', Symes said.
'Now it is super-insulated, with high-performance glazing, and airtight with a heat recovery ventilation system for constant fresh air so it is healthy and warm.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
4 hours ago
- West Australian
Anxiety Aunt: My family never say thank you for anything — how do I teach them manners matter?
Dear Aunty, As a mother of two, grandmother of three and great-grandmother of one, I suffer a great deal of disappointment as to why none of my offspring seem to know the words thank you. Since when did we drop these gracious words from the Australian vernacular? The words 'thank you' in the family environment seem to be totally neglected and unfamiliar. It is very hurtful to my soul of giving and I don't know how to tell them. I have tried dropping hints by going overboard with my thanks to them. I take photos of flowers they give me and send them back with a big 'THANK YOU!!' message. But my good example does not seem to be working. What should I do? Yours, Underappreciated Dear Underappreciated, One knows exactly how you feel, Underappreciated. Hell would freeze over before old Bert Saunders from next door ever uttered the words thank you for all the things your Aunt does for him. To be fair he did take your Aunt away on a holiday once, which was probably partly his way of saying thank you without having to utter the words. But One isn't fool enough to think One was top of a long list of options he had. The man isn't exactly sparkling company so only has himself to blame for his lack of friends. Mind you, One does need to go a bit easier on him now because, as he tells your Aunt, he has now been diagnosed as neurodivergent which, according to him, means One cannot hold him 'to the same standards' that One applies to others. That makes it sound like your Aunt makes friends jump through hoops when really One would just appreciate if he took a break from ranting on about his verrucas, psoriasis, ingrown toenails and gallbladder issues. One would also like if he brought more than a half-melted tray of ice cubes to our veranda gin sessions, and, like you say, Underappreciated, One wouldn't mind all that so much if he said thank you once in a while when your Aunt supplies the gin, mixers and often lets him stay for Uber Eats when One gets too tiddly to cook. One really isn't sure what the best approach is, Underappreciated, other than simply trying to reinforce good manners in those who will carry your genetics into the future. One doesn't know whether it is just the nature of this fast-paced world where people are getting ruder and less polite or if it is a case of familiarity breeding contempt when it comes to those closest to us, but One believes you should not give up pushing for your family to display better manners. It's somewhat passive aggressive but can be excused in the pursuit of a greater good if you just start inserting responses to the words thank you where they have failed to say them. So, for instance, if your granddaughter asks for a drink and you pour her one, if she takes it without a word of thanks you could pointedly interject with 'you're very welcome, my dear!' Or a slightly cheekier response might be if you give your son or daughter a gift and they say nothing, you could quickly quip back, 'oh, please, don't mention it — it was my pleasure'. Hopefully by highlighting the fact that they are failing to be courteous with your slightly scathing replies, they will be less inclined to let basic good manners fall by the wayside. Good luck, my dear.
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Sky News AU
New poll shows more than 70 per cent of public support Australian flag as Mornington Peninsula council responds to backlash
The Australian flag is viewed as a symbol of unity by an overwhelming majority of the public, despite local council bureaucrats erasing it from flyers. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council was sent into damage control this week after it emerged that council materials were being put out with the Aboriginal flag, Torres Strait Islander flag and the woke 'progress pride' flag – but not the Australian flag. The council flyers are wildly out of step with community attitudes, with a new poll released on Thursday showing that just 10 per cent of people want to get rid of the Australian flag. The survey of 1000 people, commissioned by the Institute of Public Affairs and carried out by Dynata – an independent marketing research firm – found that 71 per cent of Australians believe our national flag helped unite all Australians. While Australia currently has three officially recognised national flags, the IPA poll found that 61 per cent of Australians believe we should have just one flag – the Australian flag – while 29 per cent of respondents support the Australian flag being displayed alongside the Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag. Institute of Public Affairs Deputy Executive Director Daniel Wild said the Australian flag was the nation's 'most inclusive flag'. 'The Australian flag is our most inclusive flag as it represents our entire nation and every Australian, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or gender,' Mr Wild said. 'The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags have an important place in our society, but Australia has only one national flag. The Mornington Peninsula Council materials that had the Australian Flag removed include a flyer encouraging parents to sign their kids up to Kindergarten, a Child and Family news flyer, and a Health and Development Assessment flyer. According to the Herald Sun, at least one council office in Mornington also displays only the three minority flags on its entry doors. The Mayor of Mornington Peninsula and the council's chief executive have both denied knowing about the flyers before they appeared in the news. And on Tuesday evening Councillors voted to amend the council's flag policy to ensure the incident was not repeated. Mayor Anthony Marsh has told that "going forward" the council will ensure the Australian flag is included on all publications and materials it puts out. According to Mr Wild, the public backlash against the council reflects the fact Australians have 'had a gutful' of divisive identity politics. 'At a time when social cohesion is disintegrating across the nation, mainstream Australians understand that our symbols are unifying, and should be cherished and celebrated at all times. After all, there is far more that unites Australians than divides us,' he said.
The Age
3 days ago
- The Age
Please slurp your noodles: Dos and don'ts of eating out in Asia
If you ever dine with locals in China, Japan or South Korea for business or pleasure, you'll have the chance to connect in a relaxed setting. A few rules of etiquette, however, will make for a better experience and impress your hosts. You wouldn't want to appear greedy or hungry, would you? Both may be taken as a sign of poverty or lack of refinement. If invited to someone's house, politely decline food the first time it's offered. Not to worry, you'll be given a second (and third) chance to eat. In restaurants, especially in China, consideration and respect is shown by plucking fine morsels from communal dishes and placing them in your companions' bowls. Again, you might make a polite protest. So will your fellow diners, but don't take them at their word. Try again. It's also polite to refill other diners' teacups, glasses and soy-sauce dishes before your own. This is especially true in Japan, where nobody ever pours their own drink. When someone offers to pour your drink, lift your glass up with one hand supporting it from below, then take a small sip before setting it down. In Japan toasts are proposed at the start of meals; in China they'll be ongoing. Whoever hosts should be first to offer a toast, and will probably order the food without consultation. Meals can be convivial except in South Korea, where too much chatter shows lack of respect for the food and occasion. Anywhere, polite Australian conversational fillers about the weather or traffic will cause bemusement. Talk about the food, however, will be welcomed. Brace yourself: few topics are off limits. The Chinese might quiz you about your age, religion, marital status, salary, rent or the cost of the clothes on your back. Awkward, but take it as a great opportunity to turn the tables and find out more about your hosts. And so to the food. While chomping is universally considered uncouth, slurping soup or noodles can be a sign of appreciation in Asia. Such dishes are also 'inhaled' to cool them as you eat. Only hungry peasants fill up on rice, so don't ask for it if hosted. You'll get a small bowl of rice towards the end of the meal in China. In Japan, rice is eaten between courses and never mixed with food.
