Woollahra house is a new residence for a family of five in Sydneys Eastern Suburbs. The client wanted a highly functional house that included a range of spaces that suited their living requirements, but also a house that was beautiful and highly crafted with a palette of contemporary materials.

The proposal sought to take advantage of the unique battle axe lot by maximising the expansive views to the east and taking advantage of solar gain to the north whilst remaining private to the close neighbouring dwellings. Utilising the slope of the site, a three storey design was developed with a heavy bottom floor which anchored into the earth, allowing a ground floor living platform that can open out to maximise light and space. The top floor ‘concrete ribbon’ housed the bedroom spaces and playfully wrapped around to create unique indoor-outdoor spaces below. The concrete ribbon was designed with a timber and steel band that could be mechanically operated to open and close according to the weather conditions and could be observed from the main courtyard/entry.