Most architecture responds to site, taking into account the rise and fall of the land, exposure to wind and sun, and consideration of neighbours and views, but in some cases, the location is so unusual that it becomes an overriding factor in every design decision. Such is the case for Sam Crawford Architects who have completed their second house on Scotland Island, a small island with only 600 inhabitants and only accessed by boat in Sydney, Australia.
This part of Sydney is pretty remote anyway – situated between the northernmost part of the Northern Beaches and Pittwater – but its inaccessibility by road makes every house build a complex proposition. Luckily, with this house, Sam Crawford Architects were doing it for the second time and had already troubleshooted many of the issues. They also understand the beauty of the island: “Middens, containing remnants of shells and fish gathered and cooked by Guringai*, have been found on the northern and western parts of the Island and there are numerous rock engravings carved by the Guringai people on the surrounding hills,” says the architect statement.
The house itself is sited close to the water, with its own wharf connected to the backyard, which steps up to the back of the house. Unobtrusive on the hillside, the exterior is wrapped in wood, which is also continued in the interiors to create a warm and natural feel.
Stacked balconies connect the bedrooms on the lower floor and living rooms on the upper floor directly to the water views. The folding shape of the roof (in corrugated metal) and the positioning of windows is designed to bring light deep into the interior of the house, while creating moments in the interior to sit and reflect while watching the water. Simple, outstanding architecture.
More on Scotland Island House II
* names not accepted by all Indigenous people
