To look at it, the Narrabeen House by Choi Ropiha Fighera might not seem like your typical home in the suburbs, but the way the house operates is completely suburban. The minimalist home’s central courtyard acts as the main organising element around which the family living spaces are arranged. These spaces are private and interior, though thanks to the courtyard, they are also exposed to nature and the outdoors. Because the house is built on a flood plain, the architects raised the structure slightly to keep it safe from the elements. In 2010, the house received the TDA Design Award for Residential New Buildings.
If you build in a flood plain, all homes should be required to be elevated, it just makes smart sense in the long-term view. It may add more to the initial construction cost, but the first, second, third time, etc, a flood hits and your home doesn’t have to be condemned, you win!