The site falls steeply to views on the south-west. There is a height restriction imposed by the house behind. The section was manipulated to tuck the house into the site with service accommodation and vehicular access below with the house functioning as a single storey above. Conceptually, the house is composed of a pure square flat concrete roof with a central courtyard opening, supported on a number of protruding masses separated by large areas of glazing. The protruding walls and masses extend the house into its surroundings. We have termed this an ‘undermined ideal form in the landscape’. The house is organized simply, with a bedroom wing on the one side, a band of living down the other side and the most used series of pool patio, family room, courtyard and view patio in the centre. Extensive glazing and detached wall planes ensure permeability and continuity between inside and outside. The courtyard serves as a ‘green connector’, entirely wind-free and filled with sunlight all day.

The architectural language of juxtaposed plane and mass, is intended to be minimalist and unobtrusive, creating an open-ended set of relationships between user and architecture and between architecture and landscape. The courtyard organization adds a complexity to circulation, introducing multiple perspectives as one moves along its perimeter. This very simple spatial composition is an example of what can be achieved with a minimum of means when one has conceptual clarity and continuity between concept and execution.

The material palette is limited primarily to off-shutter concrete, painted surfaces and timber, blended harmonically to create a quiet and serene environment. The interiors express the clients’ modesty and discerning sense of quality.