Seaforth House: the two cubes residence located in Sydney’s stunning Northern Beaches

Architects: IAPA Design Consultant
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Year: 2014
Area: 3.229 ft²/ 300 m²
Photo courtesy: Nick Tsang
Description:

“SEAFORTH HOUSE is located in Sydney’s stunning Northern Beaches. Perched on a quiet street in close proximity to Middle Harbour, Seaforth, it offers magnificent views of the South. Clever design ensured we maximized the surrounding landscapes as well as the site itself, taking full advantage of the views facing the harbor and the sunlight from the North.

Central to the house’s design aesthetic are two contrasting wooden cubes. These ‘cubes’ – one larger than the other – form the major structural component of the house. The larger cube contains the living areas and three bedrooms, while the garage and a fourth bedroom are located in the smaller one.

In order to capture the stunning harbour views, the house is orientated to the South. This presented a challenge to capturing the natural sunlight from the North, so the large ‘cube’ was developed with a width of only seven metres from North to South. Full-height windows, combined with adjustable external louvers, let the owner both maximise and control internal light.

While the living room is at street level, the bedrooms are positioned on the lower level below. Designed with sliding windows on both North and South sides, they enhance the ventilation and illuminate the house in natural light.

Paved with solid timber decking, the outdoor area is perfect for both relaxing and entertaining. While the feature is undoubtedly a 19-metre long swimming pool that stretches from the undercover cantilever to the open area where it is bathed in sunlight, the design takes full advantage of the stunning surrounds to offer 180-degree views.

Planter boxes running the length of the pool provide low-maintenance landscaping and have been juxtaposed to present an intriguing design when viewed from upstairs. They also offer privacy, acting as a boundary and screen. And a stone-pebble path between the pool and the planter boxes provides complete accessibility while also building on the linear lines central to the overall house design.”