A river of stone runs through it

Three strong gable forms give this home a presence on the land while a vein of stone leads you into and through the home

The home's architectural form includes three strong gable

Stone and wood make pleasing companions on the

The river of stone culminates on the plinth

The contemporary family bathroom is informed by the

The timber ceiling, responding to the roofline, gives

The moody master ensuite continues the interior's natural

Looking past the kitchen from the living room,

The main living wing, with adjoining den, is

The open staircase facilitates views and natural light

Designed by Craig South, South Architects

From the architects:

Set amongst other large homes in a quality Northwood neighbourhood, this family home caters for a young family and visiting relatives.

Engaging with the golf course towards the south and maximising a strong northern aspect, this home was broken into different zones, each with a specific purpose. Landscaped courtyards enable occupants to engage with the landscape no matter the weather.

The architectural form included three strong gable forms running north-south. These were cut and sliced to create interesting form, volume, shelter and sunlight penetration into the centre of the home.

Each time the outer cedar skin is cut it exposes an inner layer of darker cedar cladding. This ‘layer’ continues through the home to create a dark interior backdrop for art.

The architectural program has five wings, creating various levels of privacy and quietness. An entry corridor splits these spaces and provides the key linkage across both levels.

The guest wing has views towards the golf course, whilst achieving a northern aspect into the landscaped courtyard. This wing gives the often-visiting relatives a level of privacy but is also able to be a shared space if desired.

The children have their own space on the first floor, with living space and two bedrooms located over the garage. This kids’ zone is separated from the main bedroom by the linking corridor and expandable office space. The office space enjoys a visual link to the main living space.

Creative solutions

The brief was for a home that didn’t have a lot of painted surfaces or square rooms with flat ceilings.

The form has been created, using three traditional gable elements merged to create the ‘outer shell’. This form was then cut, exposing recesses and courtyards where required.

The treatment of these ‘cuts’ was to clad these areas with a darker version of the outer layer, thus giving a sense of exposing an inner body.

A key ‘cut’ created the eastern courtyard. This courtyard enabled surrounding spaces to receive natural light, as well as extending the morning sun into the kitchen area. Although in the middle of the home, the kitchen receives sun at both ends of the day.

The kitchen, the heart of the home, engages with both the southern and northern views. This is achieved by creating a level of transparency through the stairwell. The windows surrounding the stair also gives occupants the pleasure of view when migrating through the home.

Space for guests on the ground floor level responds to a need today for relatives to stay, it also gives the occupants the use of this space if injury or age meant the stair was difficult to use.

The main living wing, with adjoining den, is located to receive morning and afternoon sun.

Once cut away the outer shell exposed a rich timber interior. This was complemented by a vein of stone running through the home. This starts as a stone fence, giving privacy to the northern courtyard on approach to the home, continuing through the entry to form a plinth for the stair.