Leaf House, Pacific Ocean Property Sydney, NSW Waterfront Property, Image

Leaf House Sydney : Pacific Ocean Residence

Sydney Residential Development, Australia – design by Undercurrent Architects

11 Mar 2011

Leaf House Sydney

Design: Undercurrent Architects

Photographs: Hugh Rutherford

Location: Sydney, Australia

Leaf House

Leaf house is located in a garden setting surrounded by rugged bush, on an escarpment overlooking a beach on the Pacific Ocean coast. The building aims to match the exceptional beauty of its site, integrating architecture and landscape to provide inhabitants with the experience of being both inside and in-the-environment at the same time.

Experienced and viewed in the round – from within, all sides, above and below – Leaf House is unique in every aspect, constantly changing as it is moved in and around. The building is defined by its canopy roof projecting over an enclosed glass deck and perforated podium: the deck serves as open plan living, kitchen and dining areas, with a balcony and sun, while the podium contains introspective spaces of bedroom, study, media and private living area.

The canopy roof provides diffuse cover to deck level without compromising connections with the landscape. It consists of a cluster of lapped copper panels permitting light and views to filtrate through gaps between layers, and has feathered edges that create deep awnings for solar control. The structural design resonates with the energy of the garden, bringing dynamic forces inside.

The deck is a stone terrace carved into the terrain, connecting the interior to different parts of the garden. It has a soft enclosure of moulded glass that modulates the relationship of in and outside, giving ethereal qualities to space. In contrast, the podium level is excavated into the hill, partially protruding to capture light and views, and acting as a thermal sink to counterbalance the more exposed upper levels.

The project entailed design and building roles as methods were improvised to achieve high technical complexity within cost constraints.