The Blake Residences in Bayview was the third home PMDL realised for the client over a period of 25 years addressing the changing needs of a growing family.

The Bayview residence was successfully achieved on a challenging triangular site with a significant level transition of over eight metres, offering significant water views across to Scotland Island and beyond to Lion Island and Palm Beach. From behind, the site remained looked down upon by four large residences that jostled to gain similar views, so realising privacy for all residences became a major design consideration. The site also featured an existing cottage dating from the time of early settlement in Bayview, requiring extensive record collection and photography prior to support its removal.

After extensive challenges from some neighbours, the design for the residence was approved by Council, fitting within the permissible height plain, site cover, navigating past all existing trees of significance, and featuring a lap-pool in the front setback zone. The house is realised over three levels with double garage, gym and guest facilities on the lower level engaging with the street via an intimate courtyard and with the main living areas and amenities on the mid level, complemented by an outdoor terrace to to the north and a level patio offering access to the backyard. The house is small in comparison with its neighbours, but offers generous living areas that flow around a central kitchen, offering quiet and reflective spaces through to enabling large guest entertainment. The final level segregates three bedrooms, study and amenities with internal observation from above via a feature stair and void spaces.

The house offers a contemporary expression, featuring stepped framed portal elements housing expansive glazing with sunshades to engage with views and holding a sandstone cladding as a base. Bedrooms above gain high ceilings and highlight windows. The rear and sides of the house offers a more simple expression to retain privacy, with an emphasis on narrow vertical windows placed in conversation with the large gums in the back section of the site.

The design sits comfortably within in its surrounds and successfully nestles into the landscape. A detailed palette of selected plantings and water features all contribute to the final composition and the natural setting of Bayview.

LOCATION Sydney, Australia

STATUS Built

YEAR 2008

SCALE 235 sqm