Clovelly Townhouses

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This pair of luxury four storey houses located 5 minutes walk from Clovelly Beach in Sydney replace a dual occupancy dwelling previously located on the site. Turco and Associates were required to adhere to heritage guidelines throughout the design of the project including the required retainment of a portion of the existing dwelling. A contextual and environmental argument was successfully mounted to exceed the building envelope and height limit imposed on the site.

The large Moreton Bay Fig tree growing in the backyard inspired the environmental approach of the project. Rainwater is collected by a 'canopy' of skillion roofs and diverted through the centre of the house to be stored in expansive underground water tanks. Bedrooms located on the upper storeys have an outlook into the canopy of the fig and a barbeque area on the ground level is shaded beneath.

The kitchen is located centrally on the ground floor, emphasising the role of this room as a central place of activity, congregation and interaction within the modern family. A void above the kitchen allows connectivity to this space both vertically and horizontally while skylights at the top of the void allow natural light to illuminate centrally located rooms. An additional void containing stairs connects all four levels of the house. The cantilevered timber construction of the stairs reduces bulk and avoids constriction of the necessarily thin plan of the houses.

The wall dividing the two dwellings provides a line of symmetry throughout the project, helping to simplify construction and maintain cost efficiency. A series of elevated volumes located adjacent to the party wall are supported by a plinth constructed from sandstone blocks which were recycled from the previous dwelling.