SORRENTO
RESIDENCE
Sorrento, Mornington Peninsula
In progress in 2025 onwards
SORRENTO
RESIDENCE
Sorrento, Mornington Peninsula
In progress in 2025 onwards
Sorrento Residence is taking shape on one of Sorrento’s most demanding coastal sites. Set into a limestone hillside with boundary-to-boundary conditions and existing South East Water infrastructure, the project has required close coordination across design, engineering, planning and construction. The build is being delivered in collaboration with Rod Hannah Design, GC Gebert Engineers & 3DHD Interior Design.
LOCATION
Sorrento,
Mornington Peninsula
PARTNERS
Rod Hannah Design,
3D Home Designs,
Ryan Gregory COS Landscape
IN PROGRESS
2025 onwards
Partner
Perspectives
Rod Hannah Design
Set within a Sorrento site of considerable complexity, this contemporary family home has been designed to sit within the limestone hillside that defines one of the area’s most iconic coastal sections.
The site presented a series of complex considerations from the beginning. Its unique shape, road frontage, boundary-to-boundary conditions and existing South East Water assets all required careful coordination, detailed documentation and a collaborative design response. Working closely with GC Gebert Engineers, South East Water engineers, Prossor Town Planning, 3DHD Interior Design and Forster Constructions, each element of the project has been considered with precision.
A significant part of the design response involved the home’s structural framework. I-beams, SHS and PFC steel members now form the backbone of the build, supporting the suspended slab and cantilevered balconies that will appear to float above the excavated site. Every beam, connection and junction has been carefully resolved, allowing the home’s form to respond to both the technical demands of the site and the architectural vision.
One of the more challenging aspects of the project was the integration of a demountable link, developed in response to the South East Water assets that dominate parts of the site. Through close consultation between the design, engineering and construction teams, a creative and practical outcome was achieved.
The home has also been designed to hold a strong connection to its surroundings. From the first floor, the heritage-listed Norfolk pines become part of the home’s outlook, while Bedroom 5 frames a view toward The Continental Hotel on the hill beyond. These moments reinforce the relationship between the home, its landscape and the history of Sorrento.
Limestone excavated from the site has been retained and will be woven back into the fabric of the home, grounding the build in place and strengthening its connection to the land it sits within.
With construction now underway, the home’s structure and presence are beginning to emerge — a project defined by collaboration, technical resolution, and the coastal site it responds to.
3DHD – Ryan Gregory
Set against sweeping views over Port Phillip Bay, Sorrento was conceived as a modern contemporary home with a strong connection to its coastal Mornington Peninsula setting.
The inspiration centred on creating something refined and grounded, where natural colours and finishes would echo the landscape rather than fight against it. Warm timber joinery, natural stone, and a palette drawn from the local environment give the home a sense of calm sophistication, while carefully introduced charcoals and blacks provide contrast, depth, and definition.
The result is a home that feels both elevated and relaxed, with every material chosen to reinforce a cohesive, highly resolved interior language.
Lighting played a defining role in shaping the atmosphere of the home. Rather than relying heavily on direct light, the design leans into reflected illumination to bring softness, flexibility, and texture to each space.
This approach allows the materials to speak for themselves, whether it is Venetian plaster gently washed with light to reveal its movement and character, or timber finishes highlighted to enhance their grain and warmth. Combined with the abundance of natural light that floods the home, these layered lighting moments create interiors that feel rich, calm, and beautifully balanced.
Every finish works in harmony with the next, resulting in a home that feels deeply connected to place, full of warmth, and effortless in the way it comes together.