'Cliff House' puts architecture on the edge

Modscape's 'Cliff House' is shown in this image from the company's website.

If you're a wealthy Australian who loves hanging out by the sea, this precariously-perched getaway home may be one for you.

The Australian architectural firm Modscape has designed a modular home called "Cliff House," which would be built to fully hang over the foamy shores of the Tasman Sea.

The five-storey conceptual home is designed as a series of stacked, pre-fabricated levels, anchored to the cliff and linked by an elevator. Entry comes through a parking garage on the top level, where occupants can ride the elevator down to four living spaces. The home’s design includes a lounge, kitchen, spa, bathrooms, barbecue area, and multiple bedrooms in its sparsely-furnished living spaces.

"The home is visualised as a natural extension of the cliff face rather than an addition to the landscape, creating an absolute connection with the ocean," Modscape says on its website.

Modscape came up with the design for a pair of wealthy clients who asked for "extreme" design options for a parcel of land on the coast of Australia, near Victoria. The design was inspired by the way barnacles cling to the hull of a ship, Modscape says.