Copa Houses is a pair of coastal homes on two adjoining blocks in Copacabana, related in form and distinct in character.
From the street they’re low and quiet, almost single-storey in appearance, with deep eaves and light metal roofs under a thick eucalypt canopy. At the back they step down the slope in terraces, with glass and metal balustrades and layered facades that open to the bush.
Our clients wanted something timeless and easy to look after. The owners’ holiday house sits upstairs, with a second living level below. They asked for stone and timber where possible, a concrete slab between levels, tiled wet areas and hardwood floors elsewhere. Parking on the street is limited, so the garage and beach storage mattered too. The sites are narrow and deep, so we planned each house to handle both uses without drawing attention from the street.
Both houses share flat light metal roofs, deep eaves, white render and generous glazing, including clerestory windows. From there, each takes its own direction. No. 52 has timber-look cladding laid vertically, with a DecoClad blade wall at the entry. No. 54 has stone walls and a stone entry, with timber-look cladding laid horizontally. Two driveways, natural native landscaping and metal rain chains help settle both houses into the slope.
From the main living rooms, the views open to Copacabana beach and the ocean, framed by the canopy. Making the most of those views was part of the brief.
Completed in 2025 and built by Davis Builders, the project is shown in a film, Copa Houses by Davis Builders and Slater Architects. Photography and video by Cavoo Creative.
A Shared Architectural Language
We wanted the two houses to feel related, not identical. The roof forms, eaves, render colour and window details are consistent across both. The entries and materials change, so each house has its own character.
No. 52 has timber-look cladding at the entry and garage, a DecoClad blade wall at the door and clerestory windows under deep eaves. No. 54 has stone walls, a stone entry with a timber door, and rain chains dropping from the eaves, with the lanterns glowing at dusk.
The street falls away through coastal bushland. From the road the houses keep a modest presence, and most of the volume sits downhill. At the rear, the facades step down over roughly three storeys of living and outdoor spaces. Wide sliding doors open to tiled, covered balconies with glass and metal balustrades, screens and lawn stepping toward the bush.
The layout follows the brief, with a secondary living level downstairs and the owners’ holiday house above, separated by a concrete slab. The garage and beach storage suit coastal living where street parking is tight. A glass and metal stair on the outside connects the outdoor levels at the rear.
Materials and Interior Details
Stone and timber were the clients’ preference from the start. Natural stone is used in the retaining and entry walls, and it’s the main street expression at No. 54. Timber-look cladding and timber doors add warmth to the white render. Floor-to-ceiling glazing opens the rear of each house to the canopy and the coastal outlook, and No. 54 also has frameless glass corners and glass balustrades. Metal rain chains replace conventional downpipes at key eaves. Wet areas are tiled and living floors are hardwood.
Inside, the kitchen is white and practical, with a fluted island, oak floors, black appliances and a window looking straight into the gums. The living rooms take two approaches. One has a natural stone fireplace wall, with the television and recessed timber shelves set on a stone plinth. The other has a timber media wall with floating shelves and a long sideboard. Both take in coastal views through the canopy.
