Luigi Rosselli Architects

Sticks & Stones Home

Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander

STICKS &  STONES HOME

Luigi Rosselli

ARCHITECTS
Luigi Rosselli

MANUFACTURERS
Sky-Frame

PROJECT ARCHITECT
Jane McNeill

LANDSCAPE INSTALLER
Hilli Landscapes

INTERIOR DESIGNER
Romaine Alwill of Alwill Interiors Pty Ltd -

DESIGN ARCHITECT
Luigi Rosselli

LANDSCAPE DESIGNER
Rolling Stone Landscapes

BUILDER
KCJ Constructions Pty Ltd

STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
BG&E Pty Ltd

JOINER
Sydney Joinery (Aust) Pty Ltd

PHOTOGRAPHS
Justin Alexander, Jane McNeill , Edward Birch

YEAR
2017

LOCATION
Hunters Hill, Australia

CATEGORY
Houses

Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander
Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander

Text description provided by architect.

Hunters Hill is an attractive, historic peninsula that lies between the Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers on the north shore of Sydney Harbour.

Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander
Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander

The suburb, a precursor to the Garden City movement, was subdivided in the 19th century.

With sandstone mansions and Victorian timber cottages sitting side by side, with large gardens and private parks containing centuries old trees.

Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander
Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander

It was natural to choose stone and timber to build a new house on the edge of one of these private parks.

Sydney sandstone has a slightly yellow hue that darkens and becomes more attractive over time.

Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander
Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander
Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander

The timeless materials provide a warm colour palette in an otherwise contemporary construction.

Behind the sandstone walls, huge, double glassed (Skyframe) windows with minimal framing are pocketed out of sight.

Post tensioned concrete slabs have been cantilevered with minimal steel post support to cover the main garden terrace.

Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander
Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander

Behind vertical timber shutters, curved glass windows span from floor to ceiling.

Designed for an uncluttered and relaxed family life the house layout is very simple and quite cartesian in plan except for one sinuous wall overhanging the driveway.

Every room opens to a terrace or the garden through large glass doors that slide on ball bearings; one can step outside without noticing the thresholds.

Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander
Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander
Sticks & Stones Home
© Edward Birch

Additionally, one can move fluidly from the entry to the open plan living space while hardly noticing the floor to ceiling timber door that, when open, is entirely hidden in the wall but when closed completely separates the open plan area from the rest of the house.

All this modern machinery for easy living could end up being sterile and boring without a dark side: take the stairs to the basement and you will find a subterranean level housing a car collection, a home theatre, workshop, and wine cellar.

Project Architect, Jane McNeill managed to pull out of the barrel a beautiful cellar and perfectly detailed drawings that required no site visits and no questions from the Builder to execute.

Sticks & Stones Home
© Edward Birch


Sticks & Stones Home
© Jane McNeill
Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander
Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander


Sticks & Stones Home
© Jane McNeill
Sticks & Stones Home
© Justin Alexander
Sticks & Stones Home
© Jane McNeill
Sticks & Stones Home
© Edward Birch


Sticks & Stones Home
First Floor Plan
Sticks & Stones Home
Ground Floor Plan
Sticks & Stones Home
Lower Ground Floor Plan

Luigi Rosselli Architects
T +61 2 92811498
Luigi Rosselli Architects
122 Buckingham St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia