Cliff House

Australian prefab architecture specialists Modscape Concept have designed an exciting five story home that clings to a cliff’s edge. Aptly called Cliff House, the design was created in response to a growing number of clients exploring design options for living on extreme coastal plots in Australia. The modular home was inspired by the shape of barnacles clinging to a hull of a ship, and it extends off the side of a cliff, rather than sitting upon it.

Rather than being a disruption built along the skyline, Cliff House almost propels off of it, acting as an extension to the natural topography. The unique positioning also gives the home’s residents an incredible connection to the ocean below, while alleviating construction problems associated with building on uneven rock.

The prefab modules are arranged in a vertical floor plan, the rooms stacked atop each other and held securely in place with engineered steel pins. Residents would enter at the floor level with the cliff top, which includes an outdoor patio adjacent to their parking space. An elevator or stairs connects each floor, with the bedroom, living area and kitchen each having separate space on the various floors. The interior features minimal furniture throughout, in order to emphasize the connection to the ocean and the horizon. At the lowest floor, the home opens up to another outdoor space, which seems to float above the water. Patio furniture, an outdoor kitchen and a jacuzzi tub extend the luxurious feeling of being perched above the ocean.


Although still a concept, Cliff House could provide efficient and innovative housing in rocky areas deemed unlivable.