Architects: Luigi Rosselli Architects
Year: 2015
Photography: Justin Alexander, Edward Birch
Lead Architects: Luigi Rosselli
Project Team: Edward Birch
Landscape Architects: Good Manors
Structural & Hydraulic Consultant: Rooney & Bye Pty, Ltd.
Interior Designer: Alexandra Donohoe / Decus Interiors
Builder: Stonewood Construction Pty, Ltd.
City: Sydney
Country: Australia
Balancing Home, designed by Luigi Rosselli Architects, is located in a newly established suburb on Sydney’s North Shore, near Manly. Completed in 2015, the house integrates traditional building forms with modern architecture, featuring two superposed volumes. The design consists of a white timber-clad upper floor that balances over a solid oxblood red masonry base. This upper bedroom volume hovers over the lower family communal areas, offering a striking contrast while providing a functional and comfortable family home. The house’s structure and aesthetics bring familiar and comfortable elements into a contemporary setting.
The upper bedroom wing, with traditional gable roofing, balances over the lower wing and communal rooms. Clad in white wood reminiscent of shutters, the upper floor contrasts with the solid oxblood red masonry base of the lower floor. The bedroom wing stretches from east to west cantilevering over the living quarters, providing a covered porch at the entrance and a covered terrace by the pool.
The house includes a built-in Electrolux BBQ recessed into the courtyard walls.
The interiors blends traditional detailing with contemporary elements, such as vaulted cathedral ceilings and polished concrete floors. Robust timber trusses and delicate steel windows add contrast, along with a strong palette of colors. High ceilings with wooden trusses create an open, light-filled family room decorated with soft furnishings selected by Alexandra Donohoe for Decus Interiors. A sliding steel partition introduces an architectural element to the space.
The staircase features dark oak treads and a steel balustrade, striking a balance with the white walls. Encaustic tiles in the entryway form a mat that greets visitors.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: Balgowlah, Sydney, New South Wales 2093, Australia
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
