Elemental House

Some houses sit on their site. This one was carved from it. Elemental House is a four-year new build in Sydney's eastern suburbs, shaped by excavation before it could rise. Led by Studio Director Jessica Gombault of Alexandra Kidd Interior Design, in collaboration with architect Marcellino Sain of M.A.R.S and builder Cumberland Building, the home unfolds as a vertical journey from earth to sky. Grounded and weighty at its base, it gradually becomes lighter, calmer and more open as it rises through four levels towards the treetops. The design was guided by a line from sculptor Giuseppe Penone: 'The definition of art is the vitalisation of nature, revealing the vitality of the material.' Human trace, material expression and the dialogue between organic and geometric form shaped every decision. The result is a home that balances privacy with openness and changes perceptibly as light moves through it. Materiality defines the experience. Stone, timber and bronze establish a tactile language that evolves from darker, earthbound entertaining spaces below to luminous family rooms above. The kitchen sits at the heart of the home, anchored by a sculptural stone island, while each bathroom becomes a finely crafted moment of its own. Every material was chosen to age gracefully, carrying the marks and memories of daily life. The home's most personal gesture is embedded within its foundation. Throughout the build, the client and her daughters collected fragments of marble, stone and glass before crafting two terrazzo panels by hand. Set into the floors at the garage entry and lower ground foyer, they form a permanent family signature, woven into the architecture itself. Rooted in the earth and open to the sky, Elemental House is a home shaped by light, material and time. One that does not simply shelter its family, but quietly becomes part of their story.