2012 National Architecture Awards: Residential – Houses

Jury citation

Cliff Face House is attuned to both its function and its spectacular site. Located on the eastern edge of Pittwater, the steep site is dominated by a sandstone cliff running powerfully north—south and parallel with the bay. The location of the new building below and against the rock face allows for subtle management of the site.

One descends from the road onto a courtyard platform that accommodates the landscape, the building and the aspect. The descent is a hospitable stair that is responsive to the site’s qualities and which provides easy access all the way to the water’s edge below.

House and landscape are assimilated such that the rock face becomes the wall of several rooms. The structure is reminiscent of temporary scaffolds once placed against large sandstone buildings, but here the roles are reversed — the building provides a scaffold for the rock face.

Repetition offers cost efficiencies and a restrained palette engages users with the richness of the site. The building has a rough—smooth ecology, like an oyster. Cliff Face is an easy place, where a couple may enjoy life and views on the upper level, moving down as visitors or waterfront access demand.

See a review of Cliff Face House from Houses 87.