Local firm Chenchow Little Architects has packed so much more into this modern Australian design than meets the eye. Overlooking Sydney sparkling northern beach, Freshwater House is enclosed in a series of folding screens that are as beautiful as they are functional. Freshwater House in Australia has many enviable attributes, not least its location overlooking the water of Sydney’s Northern beaches.
The dark wooden blinds close to offer total protection from the outside world, but when open, the boundary between indoors and out dissolves to invite the open air with open arms. Bringing new meaning to the term “ground level,” this contemporary, nature-inspired design incorporates a central courtyard with grass that abuts the interior’s sleek, clay-colored floors. The home’s open-concept plan plays well with its expansive windows and infinite views of sand and surf.
In order to maintain a level of privacy for the sleeping quarters whilst making the most of the Australian climate and open-living, the design maximises the gradient of the site, placing the main bedroom in the lower axis surrounded by a secure courtyard.
In the main living space it is almost impossible to differentiate between the interior and the exterior when the shields are open. Same-level landscaped grass areas become a part of the living room and the clay coloured flooring expands the collaboration with nature in the open-plan space.
With beautiful design comes functionality and the screens present a solution to climatic changes - closed they both insulate in the winter and protect from harsh sunshine in the summer ensuring that the inhabitants can make the most of their stunning abode.
