Porebski Architects, Castlecrag House 2. Castlecrag is home to some of Sydney’s most significant 20th century architecture, including houses designed by the renowned architects Walter Burley Griffin and Peter Muller. These architects were inspired by the areas rocky outcrops and undulating topography. The Castlecrag House, respects this legacy, and aims to demonstrate that the ideas envisioned in the 1920’s are still valid today. In keeping with the architectural ‘spirit’ of area , the Castlecrag House is well anchored into the landscape with its low stonewalls, uses a limited palette of materials, flat horizontal roof forms that overlap and finish at vertical elements, and importantly designed to have the house subordinate to the landscape. The design strives to create a sanctuary and openness within a heritage conservation area. Rather than create a house that turns its back on the street, there’s a sense of transparency. While being open to the street there the front door is purposefully hidden form view, giving the home added security and privacy. Secondly, the design strives to synthesize sustainable features into an overall aesthetic. The best example of this is the courtyard that shelters the living areas with greenery, provides solar access to the rear rooms and allows cross ventilation to the house. Although the rear of the house faces south the northern courtyard opens the house to the north allowing the house to be imbued with wonderful natural light. The Gillespie House features double height spaces and a ‘cut away’ the first floor within the two-storey void to allow natural light to permeate through the entire house. The end result is a building of overlapping forms and materials, overlapping volumes and spaces that have been put together to create a wonderful home for our clients. In the same way as the considered use of exterior materials, the Gillespie House uses a restrained palette of materials for the interior. Stone tiled floors appear throughout the ground floor, with accents of timber used for the built-in customised joinery to add warmth and texture. As with many of the architectural gems in Castlecrag, this home was designed to last. Highly considered and timeless, this house, as with most significant architecture, isn’t about fashion. This is a home designed to be enjoyed for decades to come. At the request of the clients, the kitchen has been discretely hidden from view from the living areas which adds to the homely feel of the house allowing one to appreciate the spaces as a house rather than a reality TV kitchen set Photo by Peter Bennetts