Balmoral House in Mosman, Sydney, NSW Modern Villa, Australian Residence, Architecture Photos
Balmoral House in Mosman, Sydney
Contemporary Real Estate in New South Wales, Australia – design by CHROFI Architects
5 Dec 2018
Balmoral House, Mosman
Architects: CHROFI
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
photo © Katherine Lu
The Balmoral House is located within the lower north-shore suburb of Balmoral. The site presents many difficulties being wedged shaped, on the low side of the street, hemmed in by two substantial existing houses and with just half the land area of its neighbours. Where previously the site would have enjoyed the benefits of a sunny rear yard beyond the rear building alignment, this is no longer the case with the yard having been sold-off to the neighbours.
photo © Katherine Lu
CHROFI’s design process has been about finding amenity where on first appearance there appears to be little.
photos © Clinton Weaver
The design stems from the first key observation, that the view to Middle Harbour is better from the lower ground level due to the height of the canopy of a nearby angophora that impedes views from the first floor level. Placing the living areas on the lower ground level allowed CHROFI to exploit setback controls to build closer to the rear boundary where oblique views to the key local features of Balmoral Beach and Rocky Point Island are best.
photo © Katherine Lu
This strategy also provided the opportunity to extend these spaces into gardens and terraces to the limits of the site, maximising the sense of space of the ‘living domain’. Every part of the site is utilised to create an array of connected interior and exterior spaces
photo © CHROFI
The planning then became about ordering these living volumes and garden spaces to maximise access to view and sunlight and to structure these to accommodate an array of social situations for CHROFI’s Client’s young family. At first floor level, the garage and bedrooms are composed in a linear block perpendicular to the street along the south-western to enable glimpses of district views from the street as a gesture to the public realm. Critical to the success of the house is the journey from the street down to the living areas and vice versa. A series of stairways break up the journey while the main glazed central stair is the centrepiece to the house as a light-filled piece of sculpture that hangs above a reflecting pond with pool beyond.
photos © Katherine Lu
The architecture works as a series of stacked interconnected volumes that carefully manoeuvre down the site, wrapping around to establish a secluded light-filled courtyard and terrace area on the north-eastern side. The expression is ‘minimalist modern’ to avoid visually complicating an already dense set of circumstances. Warm natural materials including off-form concrete, neutral bricks and blackbutt timber imbue the house with a calm quality whilst floor to ceiling glazing and large pivot and stacking doors create light-filled interiors, bringing the garden inside.
photo © Clinton Weaver
In the end the design reverses the obvious strategy of an elevated living space with balcony facing the view. Rather, the outcome is a grounded compact family home sculpted around daylight, views to Balmoral and intertwined living and garden spaces that satisfy the social needs of a growing young family.
Balmoral House, Sydney – Building Information
Architects & Interior Architects: CHROFI
Project size: 264 sqm
Completion date: 2018
Building levels: 2
photo © Clinton Weaver
Photographer: Katherine Lu, Clinton Weaver
Drawings: CHROFI
Balmoral House in Mosman, Sydney images / information received 051219
Location: Balmoral, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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