Australian firm Richard Cole Architecture designed this Sydney area home with an unusual edge, from top to bottom, inside and out. The architects explain, “Built over an escarpment in a densely urbanized heritage conservation area in Waverton, the form of this house responds to the difficult site using the elements of cave, platform and canopy.” Named for the beautiful trees towering around it, the Angophora House is certainly worth a tour. Here goes…
As you approach the home from the street, a contemporary, curved wall of concrete leads you to the main entrance, crowned by a rooftop garden tucked beneath an angled wing with an underside of wood. Complex and curious, you can’t just walk by this home without sneaking a peek inside.
This upward tilted curved roof plays with light and shape, adding interest to the exterior, and flooding interiors with natural light spilling in from overhead.
The house sits on a slope and at the edge of an escarpment, which gives this large structure a smaller, more intimate guise from street view.
But when viewed from the valley, you truly grasp the home’s sheer scale and its precarious position, dangling on the edge of the cliff.
Overlooking the surrounding treetops, the valley side of the home is lined with windows and terraces that make the most of these lush, leafy vistas.
The home’s wood and glass exterior, and open air balconies incorporate nature into its very soul. Even inside, you get the feeling and a full appreciation of the great outdoors.
Past the concrete volume and through the wood slat door, you’re ushered down a set of stairs leading into the open concept interiors.
The living area leads you through the den, kitchen and dining areas and out onto the adjoining patios through its sliding glass doors. Overhead, a wood-framed skylight lets the sun and sky in.
As you settle down for a meal in this delicious alfresco dining area, you’ll enjoy fresh air and unobstructed views through the glass-enclosed terrace. The glazed walls slide open onto the grassy hillside just outside.
Overhead, the wood ceiling takes shape as a wave, beckoning you toward the terrace and the view with its alluring downward ripple.
The wood ceiling and floor wrap you in warm, earthy richness – a nice complement to the trees and green scenes just outside.
The fireplace serves not only as a heart and body warming feature, but it also provides some separation within this sprawling open living area.
The living area opens to the kitchen, which is defined by an organically shaped, marble topped central island.
Wood wrapped interiors are warm and organic, while mirrors bounce light through the space and add visual space.
Contrasting the rich wood, cool, industrial concrete walls give interiors their edge.
Tucked behind the staircase, a cage-style wine cellar leads down a narrow hallway, abutting a raw stone wall.
This office space echoes the same combination of wood and concrete, with a jagged rock wall projecting out from the rear wall.
Along the undulating wood ceiling, the bedroom is tucked into a corner lined with windows. An irregular shaped window sits just below the sloping ceiling, creating the effect that it is floating in midair.
A sliding wall opens the bedroom to the terrace just outside, dissolving the boundary between inside and out.
Like the rest of this home, the bathroom embraces nature and brings it to the forefront. This exposed rock wall is transformed from natural element to design feature.
The rest of the bathroom is clean and contemporary, simple in its style to let the feature wall take its rightful place in the spotlight.
A curved wall leading into the bathroom provides privacy without closing the space off from the rest of the home.
Richard Cole Architecture
via Contemporist
photo credit: Simon Wood
