As with the tube homes of Hanoi, the townhouses and terraces of Europe, and the classic brownstones of New York, vertical living has long been employed in response to constrained sites that allow only for the building of dwellings with compact footprints; such typologies may once again have to become more commonplace if we are to address the challenges posed by a global housing crisis.

Though not as tightly packed as these inner-city examples, the inhabitants of Sydney’s heavily populated beachside Eastern Suburbs also live closely nestled on modest blocks, linked by an intricate tangle of narrow streets and laneways that tumble down to the Pacific Ocean. Consequently, they too must embrace vertical living to achieve the kind of housing our modern lives demand. This was exactly the brief provided by our client for one such block, perched on a ridge high above sea level.

Among the guiding ambitions for this three-storey home was the creation of a collaborative study space at the top of the house that captured the energising breezes, and took full advantage of the sweeping 180-degree views of the ocean offered below.  The vision was simple: two desks facing fully retractable windows; a workspace only that of a ship’s captain could rival.  From this uninterrupted vantage point, the residents may enjoy an ever changing vista of magnificent cloud formations, rolling waves, cruise ships, cargo vessels, and racing sails.  Rarely a day goes by without the eventful passage of a school of whales, a dolphin pod, or a shoal of fish drawing seabirds in their wake.  Anchoring this lofty retreat is a base of rammed earth at ground level, which was chosen as the principal material for the external walls of the building in order to ground its slender form and brace it against unfettered ocean winds.

Two very different faces characterise this home.  To the street it presents a square and introverted volume with its windows screened by Western Red Cedar latticework shutters.  Only the attic dormer, perched boldly on the roofline like a surfer on the crest of a descending zinc wave, hints at the more extroverted and expansive spaces that lie to the rear of the building.

To the rear of the house, its three storeys unfold onto sinuous stepped balconies above, and a terraced garden, pool and entertaining area below, all unified by a lush, verdant and tactile landscape design by Dangar Barin Smith that blends the home seamlessly into its surroundings, suggesting a dwelling that grew from the earth, rather than one placed upon it.

Moving effortlessly inside finds you in a home defined by a rich layering of materials, shapes and forms.  The arc of a crisp white timber-clad ceiling meets the sculpted form of rammed earth, and contrasts with the horizontal stair handrail and the sharp angle of a window that carves out a slice of the view.  Together these elements create a tableau reminiscent of modern art.  Meanwhile, the checkered forms of the external latticework screens cast ever changing patterns of light and shadow in response to the sun’s movement through the sky.

A familiar beachy palette of whites, sand tones and blue hues is applied with a restrained and elegant touch by Romaine Alwill of Atelier Alwill, and is warmed by the use of oak in the timber flooring, echoed in architectural details such as the wall panelling, joinery, stair handrails and door pulls. These elements, along with the home’s gentle shifts in level, tactile materials and framed ocean views, work together to create a sense of calm and quiet retreat. There is a feeling of connection to the landscape, to the light, and to the rhythms of daily life that brings a lasting sense of tranquillity to this vertical home by the sea.