Devised by A Parallel Architecture and Allison Burke Interior Design, the building emerged from the client’s wish for a family bolthole on the edge of the city – one that could adapt over time. “The home supports a multigenerational lifestyle, balancing openness and connection with moments of privacy and stillness,” explains Ryan Burke, principal of A Parallel Architecture. Taking cues from its surroundings, the house embraces an ecologically responsive design. “After seasonal rains, water emerges through the limestone and terraces, moving quietly downhill toward a natural creek.” In response, the building’s volumes have been consciously separated to accommodate these natural flow paths, while a sequence of framed views draws the eye from one zone to the next.
Hunkered into a generous site, the dwelling unfolds as a stepped arrangement of two interlocking volumes, built upon the remnants of an earlier construction. A cementitious stone pavilion establishes a robust base, while a lighter, translucent addendum rests above on slender columns. “Concrete walls and shifting floor planes organise space, creating definition and privacy without interrupting continuity,” Burke adds. An off-form concrete spine guides the arrival sequence into a light-filled communal sphere, while the primary suite and shaded lower level provide permeable spaces for respite and leisure.
