Common Office
St. Ives House
The home is designed for a family that values shared time together. The architecture opens generously to the rear, embracing views of the adjacent national park, while presenting a more civic character to the street. Inside, a central living space acts as the social heart, reflecting the importance of family life.
A civic street face
Instead of a typical suburban dwelling expression, the design adopts a street façade of abstracted civic elements: a brick colonnade, double-storey volumes, and a cantilevered entry awning. Rendered walls and brickwork are finished in bright white, forming a geometric composition behind layered planting and garden beds.
Family life at the core
Hidden within the intentionally ambiguous exterior is a rich family life centred around a generous kitchen, living, and dining space under a soaring double-height volume. Clerestory windows draw light deep into the interior, while sliding glass doors open directly to terraces and the landscape beyond.
Zoned living
Bedrooms, the garage, and workspaces are consolidated into a western wing, allowing the central living space to expand vertically and spatially. Circulation reinforces this idea: the winding stair offers glimpses across the living areas, with shifting ceiling heights heightening awareness of the central gathering space.
Project Facts
Typology: Residential
Year: 2020
Status: Built
Location: Sydney, Australia
Client: Private
Builder: Its Built
Structural Engineer: SDA Structures
Stormwater Engineer: Northern Beaches
Interior design: JAM
Landscape: Edwina Stuart
Photography: Dave Wheeler
Next project
Common Office
St. Ives House
The home is designed for a family that values shared time together. The architecture opens generously to the rear, embracing views of the adjacent national park, while presenting a more civic character to the street. Inside, a central living space acts as the social heart, reflecting the importance of family life.
A civic street face
Instead of a typical suburban dwelling expression, the design adopts a street façade of abstracted civic elements: a brick colonnade, double-storey volumes, and a cantilevered entry awning. Rendered walls and brickwork are finished in bright white, forming a geometric composition behind layered planting and garden beds.
Family life at the core
Hidden within the intentionally ambiguous exterior is a rich family life centred around a generous kitchen, living, and dining space under a soaring double-height volume. Clerestory windows draw light deep into the interior, while sliding glass doors open directly to terraces and the landscape beyond.
Zoned living
Bedrooms, the garage, and workspaces are consolidated into a western wing, allowing the central living space to expand vertically and spatially. Circulation reinforces this idea: the winding stair offers glimpses across the living areas, with shifting ceiling heights heightening awareness of the central gathering space.
Project Facts
Typology: Residential
Year: 2020
Status: Built
Location: Sydney, Australia
Client: Private
Builder: Its Built
Structural Engineer: SDA Structures
Stormwater Engineer: Northern Beaches
Interior design: JAM
Landscape: Edwina Stuart
Photography: Dave Wheeler
Next project
