Height of grandeur

Ensuring an easy balance between privacy and outlook can be tricky when designing a large family home. With a modern house, lines of sight and a bold use of design features can make all the difference.

This residence, designed by Push Architects with Adam Smith as project architect, is set on the edge of a scenic outlook. The owners' wish list for their new house included privacy from the street, plenty of room for guests and a strong visual connection to the meandering river at the rear of the property, 30m below, says Smith.

"Catering to these requests, we designed the home in an L shape, with a separate guest house providing the third wall of a central courtyard," says Smith. "This plaza area has a soaring canopy roof, creating a dramatic informal entry and a sheltered outdoor living space."

Vertical blades at the front of the courtyard filter the sun's rays and screen views from the street. The slats still allow the parents to keep an eye on their children playing on the front lawn between the courtyard and front fence.

The house is set to the rear of the flattest part of the site, with most bedrooms and the living room looking directly over the river.

"Walls on the long sides of the living space are in glass," says Smith. "These offer a direct view from the interior out to the courtyard in one direction and to the river in the other. In addition, the dual glass walls allow you to look from the courtyard through the open-plan living spaces to the riverscape."

The living room is in the rear of the L shape with the master suite and another bedroom on the level above. The longer arm has a study, two bedrooms and a kitchen, ending with the garage. Self-contained and spacious, the guest house comprises one large room and an ensuite.

A simple material combination of rendered concrete block, timber elements and extensive glazing helped develop the home's connection to the surrounding natural environment.

There are no overhangs on this house. Instead, the architect angled the roof planes and courtyard canopy to provide strategic shade for both the indoor and outdoor living areas.

"The clients often have large numbers of guests and friends to stay," says Smith. "As well as occupying the guest house, many sleep out under the covered courtyard this is a friendly, welcoming space."

Story by: Charles Moxham