The Cliff House sits on what must be one of the most unique locations in the world. Leaning over the back fence one looks straight down at the Pacific Ocean, 80m below.
The site offers a 180+ degree panoramic view of the Ocean, unique even for Sydney.
The house is laid out to maximise what the location has to offer, as in the views, of course, but also the almost constant sea breeze and the enormous level of privacy to the East.
The entry ramps up slightly from the street, above a lower level Garage and multi-purpose room. From the Entry level, containing a Bedroom and a TV and Study Area the main living level steps down generously towards the garden and the cliff, with a resulting clear height of almost four metres.
The living area is surrounded by densely planted areas to a courtyard to the West and the setback to the North, providing not only a green outlook, but also privacy and evaporative cooling.
A variety of operable facade elements allow the capture of the natural sea breeze at varying levels, depending on the weather of the day.
Kitchen and Pantry are to the side of the living area, enhancing family life by allowing varying activities by the family members to take place separately, but in close proximity to each other.
A space above the 2.4m pantry houses required equipment without impacting on useable floor space.
Off living area and kitchen a large deck connects to the garden and pool, flanked by a BBQ area and external fireplace to maximise comfort during the shoulder seasons.
The pool has, unusually, the deep area facing the house, and the shallow area to the cliff, a geotechnical requirement due to the fact that the cliff overhangs the ocean below for a large part of the garden. The pool is designed to cantilever the cliff should it fall off, which is, we have been assured by the experts, at least 10,000 years away.
At the eastern edge of the garden the rock has been left exposed, connecting the man made elements with the natural formations.
The balustrade has been consciously designed as open stainless steel rods, in lieu of glass, to allow for better visual connection, and energy flow, with the ocean.
At the centre of the house the full height courtyard to the north is matched by the lift and stair well. The glass lift has been selected specifically for its aesthetic appeal, the slim steel lift shaft also supports the stair treads and, by extension, the glazed facade.
Upstairs four bedrooms occupy the four corners of the house, with a, intentionally monastic feeling, slim Study also facing the ocean. Large skylights fill the bathrooms and ensuites with natural light.
A large void space alongside the central corridor visually connects the upper and lower levels, greatly contributing to the cohesion between its different areas that characterises the house.
Facing the street a large balcony off the two western bedrooms is enclosed by a series of fanning aluminium louvres as well as a plastic mesh curtain called Kaynemail, a by-product of the development of chain mail costumes for Lord of the Rings. The combination of these two screens turns this balcony into a very private space, shaded from the afternoon sun while still breezy and allowing distance views.
All heating and cooling in the house, that is Air Conditioning, Hot Water, Hydronic Floor Heating and Pool Heating is generated by a geothermal system. The required energy is provided by a Vertical Ground Heat Exchanger through the installation of fluid filled heat pipes in 7 bore holes of approx 120m each.
Central element of this system is a Water-Water dual compressor Ground Source Heat Pump, about the size of a standard fridge. This, as well as of course lighting and all other electricity needs, are powered by a large 25kW solar PV system on the roof. in conjunction with 3 x14.5kW Batteries.
All glazing utilises the latest high-performance Insulglass low-e Max technology with dramatically improved performance over traditional glazing technology.
All lights are efficient dedicated LED type, a Control 4 Smart Home System allowing optimised control of lights, blinds, glass louvres, and pretty much all other controllable elements in the house.
The energy performance of the house has been rated as a Nathers 7.4 star.
As a side effect of the sole use of an internal heat pump no external compressors were required, neither for pool heating nor for air conditioning. This not only eliminates noise disturbance for occupiers and neighbours, but also ensure longevity of the, now well protected, equipment in this highly corrosive salty environment.
All materials, with a particular focus on external materials, have been selected to provide efficiency and sustainability by longevity as well. High strength concrete with marine grade reinforcement cover, anodised aluminium, marine grade 314 Stainless and glass are the main material facing wind and weather, in combination with some Australian hardwoods in less exposed locations.
All structural elements of the house are concrete or masonry, for durability, but also to act as a heat sink, buffering heat during the day, slowly releasing it during the night. External areas are heavily insulated. een walls and ceiling has been rounded to soften the box, provide interest. The east and west facade mullions/columns are connected by recessed aluminium channels in the ceiling. These provide structure and scale and also serve as control joint to prevent cracking of the ceiling. The custom designed lights run with the same theme in material and detail.
Photos by ROAr