Wave House

2008

West Chatswood, NSW

The Wave house constitutes a modest addition to a 1930's home on Sydney's North Shore. The site is unique in that it is accessed from a narrow laneway and falls steeply into a heavily vegetated gully overlooking an expansive valley dominated by tall eucalypts and distant mountain views. It is overlooked on two sides by tall apartment buildings, and a neighbouring house.

Our brief was to create a contemporary addition to accommodate a new dining/living room, laundry/wc and ensuite to the master bedroom. By placing the new rooms on the southern side we avoided destroying the original portion of the house, and its historic connection to the site. As such, daylight access into the living areas was a key concern for the project.

Utilising simple principles of passive solar design, the folded roof form lifts over the rear of the existing building and the overhangs provide shade during summer, while high level glazing allows winter sunlight deep into the living spaces. The folded roof also reduces the scale of the new works to the neighbouring property, without compromising the neighbours' access to northern light.

Our clients' modest budget was met with a simple palette of materials including polycarbonate sheeting, metal decking, timber and bamboo floors.

Project Team

Sam Crawford, Nic Tang, Miles Heine, Cressida Beale

Consultants

Quantity Surveyor: QS Plus, Matthew Saunderson
Structural Engineer: O’Hearn Consulting, Brendan Prentice

Builder: Latitude Construction (Sel Dimiri)
Council: Willoughby
Photography: Brett Boardman

Awards

Shortlisted
Australian Institute of Architects 
Wilkinson Award 2009

Published

Belle Magazine Feb/Mar 2009