Houses Australia – August 2019

HOUSES 129 NEW HOUSE 113

Products

Roofing:FirestoneBuilding

ProductsEPDMrubber

membrane;customsteel

rainheadsbyGaryChristian

Externalwalls:Aluminiumsheet

claddingbytheCopperand

ZincRoofingCompany;Britton

Timberscelerytoppinecladding

Internalwalls:XLamcross-lami-

natedtimberstructuralwalls;

BrittonTimbersandHydrowood

celerytoppineexpressedwall

studsliningboards;sandstone

blocksfoundonsite

Windows:Specialtyglazingby

FacadeInnovations

Doors:LockwoodRobert

WatsonSerieshardware;

L’OfficinabyVincenzosteel-

framedslidingdoors;custom

celerytoppineinternaldoors

byStrongbuild;customsteel

frontdoorbyGaryChristian

Flooring:BrittonTimbers

celerytoppinefloorboards;

Germanlimestoneflooring

Lighting:Lightfittings

fromUnios

Kitchen:Wolfovenandcooktop;

Sub-Zero fridge; custom stainless

steelbenchtopsandintegrated

sinks;Zetrpowerpointsand

switches;customkitchentap

byWatermarkDesigns;Sussex

tapware;waterfiltrationsystem

fromtheWaterShop;custom

shelvinginBrittonTimbers

blackwoodbyGaryChristian;

customQuasairrangehood

Bathroom:SussexScalatapware;

WatermarkDesignstapware;

customconcretevanityunitsby

ConcreteBenchesAustralia;

Avenirbathroomaccessories;

AxatoiletfromReece;Stoneface

travertinebath;TooleStainless

Steelstripdrain;blackslate

flooring;CemintelBarestone

walls;customglassshower

screenswithtimberhandles

Heatingandcooling:Isan

radiatorsinstalledbyDPP

HydronicHeating;Cheminées

Phillippefireplaces;motorized

rollerblindsbyWindowFurnishing

Designs;Daikinair-conditioning

Externalelements:Polished

concretepaving,recycledbrick

pavingfromTheBrickPit

Furniture:OxchairbyHans

J. Wegner from Cult

Neatlyfittingunderthecouncilrecession

plane,thehouse’sinterconnectedformswereconceived
ofasseedpodscascadingdownthehill.Eachofthese

trumpet-shapedformshousesa differentsocialfunction:

there’sthekitchen,diningarea,livingspaceandthe
bedrooms.Theystretchthehouseoutintothelandscape,

theirjointsopentocapturevistasofthedistantgeogra-

phicalfeaturesofMiddleHarbourandSugarloafHill.
Betweenthetwomainhalvesofthiscomposition,a slot

fora stairwaygivesaccessdownthecontourofthehill

andalsodrawsviewsofrockyoutcrops and angophora

treesthroughthecentreoftheplan.
Attheheartofthehouseliesthenaturallylit

entryhall,withkitchenandstairsattheperiphery,and

diningandcirculationatthecentre.Thelivingspaceson
theupperlevelarevisuallyinterconnected,whilesubtle

level changesformsillsfromonespacetothenext.

Thecentralstairwayleadsfromthelivingroom
downtothebedrooms,andcontinuesontothepool

terrace.Themoreenclosedbedroomsandbathrooms

aredefinedbycelerytoppinepartitions;functional
layerssuchaswaterproofliningandshelvesare added

totheseelementsincontrastingmaterials.

Thespatialconfigurationofthebedroomlevelcanbe
modifiedbyreorientinga seriesofpivotingpartitions.

Thehouseisfurtherenrichedbythemanypaths

throughit:a spiralstairatthehillendofthesitedrills

intotheground,anda landscapedstairattheother
endfacestheviewandfollowsthe contour of the hill.

A glassliftisanotheroption.

Thehouse’srichtimberdetailingiswrapped
inverticallyseamedblackened-aluminiumsheet

cladding.Blacksteelwindowshroudswithdeepreveals

• alongwithanabundanceofwittymodernistdetails–
  arebalancedbyagedvernaculardetailingsuchasthe

stretchedmortarjoints,whichmirror those seen in the

Griffins’sandstonehouses.
Thereisa clearspiritofarchitecturalexperi-

mentationinthedesignofthishouse– andperhapshere

isthecruxofhowthearchitect’sownhousediffersfrom
thehouseofa client.Wecanalsoseethearchitect’s

wit,whereLeCorbusier’sconicalconcreteoverflows

havebeenreinterpretedinmetal,whereHansScharoun’s

curvedbalustradeframeshavebeentweakedtoaccord
withtheAustralianbuildingcodes,andwherecommer-

cialflushglazingsystemshavebeenrescaled,reassigned,

andgivenattitudeandgrace.Allthesegesturestake
their placeinanarchitecturethatisclearlyresidential.

Thisfreeflowofarchitecturalinventiveness,

andthepropositionoftimberasa timelessand
sustainableconstructionmaterial,makethishousea

worthy addition to the Castlecrag architectural legacy.

5

New

house

Sydney,

NSW

Site 5,192m²

Floor 706 m²

Design1 y

Build 2 y 6 m

Family

4 4