Middle Harbour House

To build a house overlooking Sydney Harbour is a privilege not to be undertaken lightly. This house strives to create a contemporary dwelling which harbours the everyday experiences, aspirations and interactions of a family and contributes to the rich context of the populated slopes and fingers of bushland that reach into the waterway. The site is exposed to two road frontages, and slopes substantially to the east. The form responds to this dramatic corner site with a stratified assembly overlaid by a simple skillion roof that mirrors the slope of the land. The stepping form creates terraces which extend the indoor living areas to the outside, creating sheltered places of prospect. The solidity of the mass is eroded by a central double height space, allowing light to permeate through the stairwell to the lower ground floor. The warm, substantial character of the dwelling is carefully composed by means of the clarity of detailing, a palette of tactile natural materials and the careful manipulation of light. The building aspires to beauty, substance and place making in order to provide a vessel in which a family can grow.

The site is located within an affluent Sydney suburb in which large Federation houses, overblown mansions and contemporary architectural works vie for views on streets that wind along the contours of the Middle Harbour bays. The carefully proportioned roof form responds to the slope of the land, and is punctured with skewed openings to capture the morning sun. The layered form of stone, masonry, zinc and timber is punctuated by openings, bays and awnings that articulate each elevation and respond to each orientation. The character of the house reads as a carefully crafted container within the streetscape inviting further investigation.

On an elevated site that is bounded by two roads, the challenge was to create a dwelling where the inhabitants could feel at home, interact as a family, engage
with the view and streetscape, and yet not feel exposed. The house achieves this with the careful placement of openings, generous terraces off living areas
and the master bedroom, and landscaped terraces along the long northern side. Projecting bays create discreet places of repose, always with an outlook. Throughout the house are crafted places of solitude balanced with places of gathering.

The design incorporates thermally efficient principles including the provision of cross ventilation, the maximisation of natural daylighting, solar passive design, and materials with good thermal mass such as masonry and stone in order to minimise the requirement for artificial heating and cooling throughout. The longevity, durability and weathering properties of materials was strongly considered throughout the project.

The brief required the transformation of a Federation house that had been degraded over the years by unsympathetic additions into a cohesive and
substantial contemporary family dwelling. The client was extensively involved with the overall design, material selection, interior detailing and selection of
fixtures and fittings, even working from the architect’s office for a period. This collaborative approach ensured an outcome where the client, through continued
personal investment throughout the design, procurement and construction processes achieved a deeper sense of ownership of the building.

The house is a testament to the dedicated craftsmen who built it. The concrete, steelwork, hardwood windows, large pocket sliding doors, timber cladding and lining, joinery, zinc cladding, concealed lighting and stonework are all custom made hand crafted elements. The design called for minimal tolerances, requiring a high level of skill and cooperation between trades. An elemental, lush garden by Trish Dobson will increasingly complement the design as it matures.

The site is not of heritage significance and the existing building was not deemed of sufficient merit to retain in any substantial form. The design results in a
completely transformed building which draws from the inherent qualities and elements of the original Federation house: a carefully proportioned articulated
form, a sheltering roof, a dedication to crafted materials, a solid rather than lightweight form, a central hearth, verandahs and bay windows.