Caseyfierro Architects

Jodie’s House

Jodie’s House
© Greg Haremza

JODIE’S HOUSE

Casey Brown Architects

ARCHITECTS
Casey Brown Architects

DESIGN ARCHITECT
Robert Brown

LANDSCAPE
Jane Coleman

BUILDER
Girdler Constructions, Trent Girdler

ENGINEERS
Murtagh Bond, Ken Murtagh

PROJECT ARCHITECT
Tom Monahan

YEAR
2014

LOCATION
Sydney, Australia

CATAGORY
Houses

Text description provided by architect.

Jodie’s House on Sydney Harbour is situated on a dramatic steeply sloping site with north-easterly views over the beach and the water beyond.

Jodie’s House
© Greg Haremza
Jodie’s House
© Greg Haremza

The topography resulted in the building being articulated as a series of pavilions. Intricately linked they cascade from the top of the site towards the shore.

Connections between these levels are both complex and subtle, giving both a sense of journey and discovery as you move throughout the house.

Jodie’s House
© Stuart Scott
Jodie’s House
© Stuart Scott

The topography of the site also inspired the materiality of the house itself, with cutaways revealing walls of hewn sandstone, contrasting with near-white off-form concrete.

Additional contrast and warmth is introduced through the recycled spotted gum ceilings and flooring and reddish brown tones of the copper roofing, which in time will mature to a rich blue-green.

Jodie’s House
© Greg Haremza
Jodie’s House
© Greg Haremza

As you look down from the upper pavilions towards the beach the roofscape of the lower pavillions becomes a part of the view.

These surfaces have been treated as a sculpture, the delicate copper has been twisted into upturned planes acting as roof lights and clerestory windows to the lower levels.

Jodie’s House
© Greg Haremza
Jodie’s House
© Greg Haremza

With this continuous band of higher level windows the home’s light and ventilation needs are well provided for, while not compromising visual privacy from the adjacent neighbours.

On the street, the house is both modest and generous. Entry is via an elevated bridge that opens onto a north facing viewing platform which presents the beach and bushland beyond.

Jodie’s House
© Stuart Scott
Jodie’s House
© Stuart Scott
Jodie’s House
© Greg Haremza

A winding generously-proportioned stair descends to the principal living and gathering area of the house. The family living spaces are focused around both a north facing deck and a protected southern courtyard.

The deck and courtyard provide light, ventilation and views through the interior spaces and foster seamless transitions from inside to out. The master bedroom suite is accessible only via a hidden stair from the private study area.

Secreted away on the uppermost level, it offers a sense of escape and retreat. On the lowest level, three bedrooms provide ample space for the couple’s triplet children, as well as a media room and children’s study area, which opens onto the back garden.

Jodie’s House
© Stuart Scott
Jodie’s House
© Stuart Scott
Jodie’s House
© Stuart Scott

These interconnected pavilions give privacy to the large family. While the open kitchen, dining and living area provide a large gathering space that serves as a focal point for the family to come together.

The stepped and staggered design is articulated as a series of courtyard voids, allowing for light and views to penetrate into every space, as well as provide protected spaces from the hot north-easterly summer winds.

The house was designed for a large family, and has achieved a character that is calm and refined, with robust and beautiful natural materials that give a timeless quality.

Jodie’s House
© Greg Haremza
Jodie’s House
© Greg Haremza


Jodie’s House
Plan 1
Jodie’s House
Plan 2
Jodie’s House
Plan 3
Jodie’s House
Plan 4
Jodie’s House
Plan 5
Jodie’s House
Plan

Caseyfierro Architects
T +44 20 72726005
Caseyfierro Architects
The Studio, 56 Winton Ave, London N11 2AT, United Kingdom