The brief for Ramsey Street was to design a family home for four people, with privacy from neighbours on both sides, taking advantage of the views to the south, and applying solar passive design. The clients wanted to feel they could have total privacy from the neighbouring houses. This can sometimes be difficult in urban living especially when large windows are needed for the south facing coastal view. But with careful thought and clever design, we were able to achieve the privacy they needed, all while having a complete wall of glass on the upper floor south façade.

The modern design draws from the old beach house on silts, which is a predominate neighbourhood character of the area, while providing the clients with every aspect of modern living. The stone feature wall acts as the central core of the house, providing many benefits for thermal mass, sound deadening for spaces north of the wall, and a visual and tactile feature as you use the stairs. The charcoal timber cladding contrasts well against the stone and balances the tones of the house.