Long House

The brief

Would you build over a cliff?

You'd never notice looking from the street, but this contemporary home is perched on a cliff that runs diagonally across the middle of the block. Our clients had seen one of our other Seaforth homes and wanted a contemporary design with horizontal lines that make the most of the wide frontage.

We set the build as far back as possible to maximise north-facing space for a pool and outdoor recreation. Hidden on the roof are clerestory windows that create higher ceilings and flood the south rooms with natural sunlight — solving the light challenge that comes with a south-facing rear.

The DA was approved by Manly Council despite strong neighbour objections — a result of thorough documentation and a design that clearly demonstrated neighbourhood compatibility.

Our neighbours made the DA process into a circus, but Adam worked hard to get the design through council.

Ron Thompson · Long House, Seaforth 2016

The design thinking

Defying the cliff, embracing the light.

The diagonal cliff line running through the centre of the block forced a structural solution that most architects would avoid. We leaned into it — working with the cliff's geometry to produce a layout that's more interesting than a flat site would allow, with split-level connections that create surprise and discovery as you move through the home.

Clerestory windows on the roof are invisible from the street but transform the experience inside — bringing morning sun deep into the south-facing rooms that would otherwise be dark.