The overall design aesthetic is minimalist, characterised by the use of monochromatic materials incorporating fragments of greenery, brass and reddish tones. This palette encourages continuity with the colours of the external garden, blurring the delineation between inside and out.
The materials were also chosen to withstand the elements and age gracefully in their setting.
In this context, concrete was the perfect choice - balancing the structural challenges, durability requirements and sensorial aspirations of the clients.
"They (the clients) wanted to express and honour off-form concrete as a true reflection of the building process, relaying a story of the construction process throughout the home," Woodward says.
The site is a relatively tight lot, narrow and long in proportion, constrained by neighbours either side and the Harbour foreshore at the rear. Primary access for construction was via the narrow street frontage at the highest point of the site.
The geological morphology consisted of Sydney Harbour sandstone, which provided opportunity for stable bearing for the house's foundations directly onto bed rock.
Concrete was poured for the floor and roof structures, with a mixture of core-filled concrete block walls and concrete blade columns.
For the most part, the formwork in the soffits was expressed and joint lines considered to align with various building components.