Bay House living and dining room open to the harbour, the city skyline in the distance

Bay House, Longueville

Bay House is located at the end of a narrow lane in Longueville, with stand-out views across the city skyline and Sydney Harbour Bridge. The original, poorly connected residence made little use of these.

Architects Castlepeake set FS Hough a complex brief: full accessibility throughout the home, a single level for both living and sleeping, an accessible swimming pool at the lower level, and a stronger connection to the views, sunlight and courtyard beyond.

Details
Site Area SQM
559
Built Area
274
Bedrooms
3
Bathrooms
3
Parking
2
Year Completed
2021
Concrete balcony of Bay House cantilevered over a garden of palms and ferns
Window seat in the timber lined library at Bay House, looking to the trees
Courtyard with an olive tree, stepping stones and louvre windows
Concrete stair with a glass balustrade and a red artwork at the landing
Bathroom vanity with timber drawers and a grey tiled splashback
Concrete stair beside a timber batten screen with a curved handrail
Timber lined window seat with louvre windows to the garden
Timber kitchen joinery beside a window to the garden
Window seat with a timber bench looking over the bay at Bay House

Getting there meant an extensive alterations-and-additions build accessed via a difficult battle-axe driveway, with significant demolition and excavation on the steep site before construction could even begin. We installed a compact stair and lift to meet the accessibility brief, reshaped the entry ceiling to create a deliberate sense of compression before the release into the open living spaces beyond, and cantilevered a new concrete structure out over the home's existing retained walls to elongate the main living level and capture both the harbour views and winter sun.

Off-form concrete, raw fibre cement, limestone paving and timber floors run throughout, alongside polished concrete floors with integrated in-floor heating and lighting and external blinds recessed directly into the concrete itself.

Bay House is a strong example of FS Hough's ability to execute a highly considered, accessibility-driven design on a constrained site that gave the team very little room to move. The finished home is a sophisticated sanctuary for its owners: a gallery-like backdrop for their art collection, with the ultimate backdrop of Sydney Harbour beyond.

Dining room with a timber table, black shelving and red armchairs, open to the garden
Living room opening through louvres to a sandstone courtyard
Bay House concrete balconies above the pool and garden
Timber handrail and glass floor at the top of the stair, with louvre windows
Timber kitchen with a dark island and a long dining table
Rooftop view over the trees to the harbour and city skyline
Sandstone courtyard with an outdoor table beneath a tree
Bedroom with a window seat and louvre windows to the trees
Blue sofa beside a library window looking into the courtyard
Concrete roof terrace framing the harbour and city skyline
Collaborators
  • Architecture and Interior Design by Castlepeake Architects
  • Landscape by Somewhere Landscape Architects
  • Photography by Felix Mooneeram
Concrete stair with a timber handrail rising to the upper level at Bay House
FS Hough