The Narrabeen House is located on the edge of Narrabeen Lagoon and is fortunate to have outlook across water to an untouched island dense with casuarinas. By contrast, the street context is unremarkable without the slightest hint of the lagoon beyond the houses lining the street and manages to give the impression of being deep in suburbia. The house is new and replaces a former 1970s cream brick house that functioned poorly and like many other houses from the time, did little to engage with the unique environmental qualities of the lagoon. In starting this project, we clearly wanted to re-dress the connection with the lagoon and island, but also found ourselves drawn to the suburban qualities of the street and this dramatic contrast between the front and back of the property. This led us to think about the project within the framework of the ‘suburban ideal’ - a framework that would allow the house to address the street as any other suburban house would, while inwardly pursuing the ideals of oasis and retreat where the water experience could be used to maximum impact - in effect, amplifying the current contrast between street and lagoon. From the street, the house’s composition is built around the entrance, driveway and garage like any typical suburban house however the impact of these domestic elements is diffused by melding them into a singular architectural expression and form. The broad facade combined with the floating skirt detail give the house a horizontal proportion and even though the dark timber cladding gives the building a ‘stealth’ like appearance, it still withholds the drama of the lagoon beyond. This sets up two key planning strategies. Firstly, a central courtyard is introduced as the principal organising element for the planning with all of the house’s key public spaces - living room, dining room, kitchen, study and pool - grouped around the courtyard to connect these spaces visually, and physically when the courtyard walls are opened up. The arrangement promotes a socially inclusive dynamic as well as extending the spatial opportunities of the house. The courtyard also has a significant environmental role bringing sun, light and air into the centre of the house. Secondly, the planning is composed to deliberately isolate the occupant from the suburban surrounds to heighten the sense of oasis and privateness. This process begins at the street bringing visitors through a succession of exterior spaces that gradually compress and remove the street context through a composition of fences, full height screens and thresholds. The entry sequence eventually terminates at a solid doorway where the sense of intrigue peaks. Rather than entering into a hallway, one arrives in the courtyard where the full extent of the private domain, the lagoon and island are revealed and any sense of the outside world removed. The house also has an unusual sectional arrangement driven partly by the requirement to elevate the interior 1.2m above ground level to safeguard against flooding but also by the desire to have open plan spaces with dual aspect - north for sun and south for the view. Whilst this introduces issues with the scale relationship of the house to its neighbours, it enables a more interesting multi- level relationship between interior and exterior living spaces to occur. This combination of sectional interplay with the layout of spaces in relation to the courtyard is what enables the layering of spaces to occur - it is possible to view the courtyard, living room, lagoon side deck, lagoon and island as backdrop in just one vista from the study. Flood raising 1200mm helps by introducing level changes that step and advantage the deeper views Porosity radically increases experience of exterior framed views, elevated The vistas from the key living areas and courtyard are composed to heighten the sense of connection with the lagoon and place the island as the key visual terminating feature. The materiality further develops the notion of oasis with a simple calming palette of warm natural materials that have a beneficial environmental effect while connecting the house with the natural environment of the lagoon and island.

Shannon McGrath
メルボルンにあるラグジュアリーな広いコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれなLDK (コンクリートの床、内蔵型テレビ) の写真

The original fireplace, and the charming and subtle form of its plaster surround, was freed from a wood-framed "box" that had enclosed it during previous remodeling. The period Monterey furniture has been collected by the owner specifically for this home. Architect: Gene Kniaz, Spiral Architects General Contractor: Linthicum Custom Builders Photo: Maureen Ryan Photography

Philippe Billard
パリにあるラグジュアリーな小さな北欧スタイルのおしゃれなLDK (ライブラリー、白い壁、コンクリートの床、暖炉なし、据え置き型テレビ、グレーの床) の写真

Bruce Damonte
サンフランシスコにあるラグジュアリーな中くらいなモダンスタイルのおしゃれなLDK (ライブラリー、コンクリートの床、標準型暖炉、漆喰の暖炉まわり、白い壁、テレビなし) の写真

ワシントンD.C.にあるラグジュアリーな巨大なビーチスタイルのおしゃれなリビング (マルチカラーの壁、クッションフロア、壁掛け型テレビ、茶色い床、横長型暖炉、木材の暖炉まわり) の写真

We chose a micro cement floor for this space, choosing a warm neutral that sat perfectly with the wall colour. This entire extension space was intended to feel like a bright and sunny contrast to the pattern and colour of the rest of the house. A sense of calm, space, and comfort exudes from the space. We chose linen and boucle fabrics for the furniture, continuing the restrained palette. The bookcase is a simple and clever way of dividing the space, whilst giving a place to display sentimental objects. The picture window allows light to flood into this corner of the room as does the roof light. We designed bespoke fluted cabinetry to create some clever storage under the TV.

他の地域にあるラグジュアリーな広いモダンスタイルのおしゃれなLDK (コンクリートの床、横長型暖炉、コンクリートの暖炉まわり、マルチカラーの床) の写真

他の地域にあるラグジュアリーな広いラスティックスタイルのおしゃれなLDK (白い壁、コンクリートの床、標準型暖炉、コンクリートの暖炉まわり) の写真

ラスベガスにあるラグジュアリーな小さなインダストリアルスタイルのおしゃれなLDK (ライブラリー、白い壁、クッションフロア、吊り下げ式暖炉、木材の暖炉まわり、テレビなし、茶色い床) の写真

This house west of Boston was originally designed in 1958 by the great New England modernist, Henry Hoover. He built his own modern home in Lincoln in 1937, the year before the German émigré Walter Gropius built his own world famous house only a few miles away. By the time this 1958 house was built, Hoover had matured as an architect; sensitively adapting the house to the land and incorporating the clients wish to recreate the indoor-outdoor vibe of their previous home in Hawaii. The house is beautifully nestled into its site. The slope of the roof perfectly matches the natural slope of the land. The levels of the house delicately step down the hill avoiding the granite ledge below. The entry stairs also follow the natural grade to an entry hall that is on a mid level between the upper main public rooms and bedrooms below. The living spaces feature a south- facing shed roof that brings the sun deep in to the home. Collaborating closely with the homeowner and general contractor, we freshened up the house by adding radiant heat under the new purple/green natural cleft slate floor. The original interior and exterior Douglas fir walls were stripped and refinished. Photo by: Nat Rea Photography

他の地域にあるラグジュアリーな巨大なコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれなLDK (ベージュの壁、コンクリートの床、両方向型暖炉、石材の暖炉まわり、据え置き型テレビ) の写真

オースティンにあるラグジュアリーな小さなインダストリアルスタイルのおしゃれなLDK (コンクリートの床、暖炉なし、壁掛け型テレビ、ベージュの壁) の写真

Photography by Mia Baxter www.miabaxtersmail.com
オースティンにあるラグジュアリーな広いトランジショナルスタイルのおしゃれなLDK (コンクリートの床、石材の暖炉まわり、埋込式メディアウォール、吊り下げ式暖炉、グレーの壁、グレーの床) の写真

This open floor plan is so inviting for large gatherings.
オースティンにあるラグジュアリーな広いコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれなリビング (ベージュの壁、コンクリートの床、横長型暖炉、石材の暖炉まわり、壁掛け型テレビ) の写真

フェニックスにあるラグジュアリーな広いサンタフェスタイルのおしゃれなリビング (白い壁、横長型暖炉、コンクリートの暖炉まわり、コンクリートの床、テレビなし、グレーの床) の写真

他の地域にあるラグジュアリーな広いモダンスタイルのおしゃれなLDK (白い壁、コンクリートの床、標準型暖炉、金属の暖炉まわり、壁掛け型テレビ、グレーの床) の写真

ニューヨークにあるラグジュアリーな広いビーチスタイルのおしゃれなリビングロフト (ベージュの壁、コンクリートの床) の写真

The full-height drywall fireplace incorporates a 150-year-old reclaimed hand-hewn beam for the mantle. The clean and simple gas fireplace design was inspired by a Swedish farmhouse and became the focal point of the modern farmhouse great room.