Dolls Point Cafe
Dharawal Country / Dolls Point, NSW
A beach-side café opens up views and gives generous, protected outdoor dining.
A new restaurant replaces an ageing venue, significantly improving views to the park and water. The building form wraps around a central sheltered outdoor courtyard.
A Pavilion Open to Sea and Park
Architecture frames landscape, creating sheltered, inviting spaces.
The café activates an under-utilised and exposed beachfront park on Botany Bay and replaces existing rundown facilities.
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“The U-shaped cafe creates sheltered outdoor courtyard seating where diners enjoy the winter sun and are protected from north easterlies and southerlies.”
The project is a benchmark for environmental performance and sustainability.
Highly durable and sustainable materials were chosen for the harsh marine environment and sustained public use, minimising embodied energy, maximising recyclability – low carbon board form concrete walls, recycled timber cladding, windows/doors, and columns/beams, with a zinc roof and double-glazed windows. The amenities section is clad in a dark stained timber, recessing it from the cafe’s warm-coloured materials. There are solar panels and underground rainwater tanks.
New public toilets and a kiosk cater for the upgraded playground nearby, with vehicular and pedestrian infrastructure upgrades rejuvenating the reserve. Lush landscaping around the cafe minimises the visual impact for nearby residents.
The site-driven design responds to the variables of wind and solar, providing protected internal and external seating, with a scale appropriate to its park and residential context for community enjoyment.
Dolls Point Cafe Gallery
| Project info | Details |
|---|---|
| Team | Sam Crawford, Benjamin Chan, Sofia Nay |
| Consultants | Structural & Electrical Engineer: Stantec Mechanical Engineer: JN Civil & Hydraulic Engineer: Partridge Landscape Architect: Square One Town Planner: ASquare Planning Section J Consultant: Partners Energy QS: MDA Quantity Surveyors |
| Client | Bayside Council |
What we do
Urban & Public
We design public buildings and civic spaces that foster community connection, cultural expression and a sense of belonging. From libraries to public domain projects, our work is shaped by purpose, context and collaboration. These are places designed for people, built to enrich the cities and neighbourhoods they sit within.
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