Architecture News Plus (ANP) – Architecture and Design Magazine

River House

This is a project by MCK Architects and it is located at Sydney, Australia. Project's program: Single family house. There are twelve images for River House.

: © Steve Back

Project details

Project name: River House
Location: Sydney, Australia
Program: Single family house
Area: Project area: 530 m2
Year: Completion: 2009
More details: Project cost: $ 3.5 Million
Project by: MCK Architects
Others: Builder: Alvaro Brothers • Interior Decoration: Scala and Romano Interiors • Structural Engineer: Simpson Design Associates + Luke Tsougranis • Hydraulic Engineer: Bret Lipscombe + Associates • Landscape Architect: The Potager Garden • Surveyor: Frankham Engineering • Joinery: Ben Pullicino & Sons • Planning Consultant: Mersonn • Heritage Consultant: City Plan Heritage + Robert Staas

Project images

Designer's statement

The River House is an informed assembly of clean lines, warm + textured materials and daring structure all housing a complex brief on a difficult site. The finished product is the result of the collaborative overcoming of many hurdles which ultimately shaped the design as much as the river itself.

For the River House, the site itself provided both the greatest opportunities, and the largest constraints to the design. It is both steep and awkwardly shaped, but retains magnificent north facing panoramic views over the Lane Cove River.

The air space was therefore utilised to gain additional footprint space, and create a floating datum, effectively the street level ground floor plane.

This datum was duplicated as a ‘lid’ over itself hence the two floating parallel floor plates, which proudly cantilever over the existing castle-esque sandstone basement walls. The first floor shingle box remains largely recessive from the river side. Generous circulation zones greet the user upon entry. A wedge-shaped joinery box floating in plan like an island, separates the circulation zones from the main living zone, and thus heightens the experience of the journey through the space.

The Main Living Zone is a bent tube shaped form with the Kitchen as the fulcrum. From this space, significant views can be obtained of the local natural precinct.

The house itself relates to its rectilinear suburban context at its street edge, and it’s more natural contours and organic lines on the non-street side. It is here primarily that the house reflects it’s greatest influence: the river.

Inspiration Points:

The site’s natural curves, topography and the river shape generated the plan in conjunction with the extensive panoramic views.
The external materials were selected to compliment the built and natural contextual setting; sandstone, timber shingles, painted brick. Strong heritage views from the precinct influenced the use of texture throughout the design.
Canitlevering floor plates into airspace maximised the footprint at street level.
An existing large feature pecan tree was effectively built around and embraced as a great source of shade in summer.
Clean lines and seamless surfaces were integrated to compliment and offset the rich textures used.
The form of the house was generated to minimise impact to neighbours and community facilities.