ambay house

North Balgowlah NSW

This project involved the complete demolition of an old double brick house and the construction of a new two storey four-bedroom house with a rear pool and a double garage. The clients expressed their affinity for beach-side living and envisioned a generous family home that had the intimacy and detail of a small humble cottage. Inspired by the timber cottages built mid-century along the beaches of Sydney, this contemporary coastal pavilion plays with indoor and outdoor living arrangements that encourages the clients to engage with external spaces and the landscape. To the side of the house is a series of north-east facing light wells that sandwich and celebrate a glass encased grand staircase, this architectural gesture entwines the clients into a relationship with the outside world on an everyday basis as they move throughout the house during the course of the day. The living spaces to the rear of the house take advantage of the north-western orientation and enjoy a long afternoon of sun, these spaces utilise external stacking sliding doors that seamlessly open the living areas out to the rear yard and pool area. The architectural detailing of the house pays homage to the Australian weatherboard cottage aesthetic, playing with various rhythms in timber cladding and utilising a post and beam structure to define the building’s envelope.

Photography by Michael Nicholson