H house

2017 | Cammeraygal Country | Middle Cove

Houses Awards 2018 - Shortlist

Designed for climate, comfort, and liveability, the H house allows its occupants to live amongst the trees in Sydney’s leafy lower north shore. A new house situated at the high point of a steeply sloping site, its upper storey, clad in spotted gum, is designed to float above the layers of lush tropical planting cascading down to the street. Its height provides privacy to the large sliding doors into the main living space, which retract into the adjacent walls to further blur the boundary between interior and exterior, house and nature. Designing to Sydney’s climate, deep eaves shelter the external decks, allowing the occupants to enjoy the outdoors while protected from both sun and pouring rain. Where the exterior spaces are rich and warm, the interiors are neutral and understated in contrast, with hard-wearing materials such as polished concrete carefully selected to promote longevity. The upper level is open plan, with circulation designed to flow generously as space rather than corridor, while the bedrooms are located on the lower level. Through its simple and honest detailing, the H house creates an atmosphere of rest and tranquility. 

Built by Align Constructions
Photography by Katherine Lu