Pittwater House 1
By Sam Crawford Architects
2002
Pittwater, NSW
Built as a summer house to accommodate a large extended family, the house was conceived of as a set of interconnected weathered timber clad pavilions, linked by casual living spaces, wrapping a protected north-east facing courtyard. Sited on an exposed sandy spit on Pittwater, on the lower reaches of the Hawkesbury River estuary, to Sydney’s north, the house at once absorbs the panoramic views to the south-west, and turns its back on the often chilling breezes that sweep across that body of water.
The protected courtyard is afforded water views via opposing sliding glass doors of the casual living room. Individual families within the larger clan are able to retreat to discreet sleeping rooms in each pavilion. The naturally weathered timber cladding (made from a species known as Kwila, a Forest Stewardship Council accredited hardwood) is set 40mm off the face of the building, with open joints, acting as a rain & sun screen – a technique pioneered by award winning Queensland architect Gerard Murtagh – affording the building a remarkably moderate temperature through summer and winter.
Project Team:
Sam Crawford, Heike Rewitzer, Ashley Dunn, Lay-Mon Thuang
Builder
Gunlake
Consultants:
Acoustic Engineer: Renzo Tonin & Assoc, Basset Acoustics
Coastal Engineer: Patterson Britton & Partners
Geotechnical Engineer: GHD
Hydraulic Engineer: Acor Consulting
Landscape Architect: Jane Irwin Landscape Architects
Land Surveyor: Dunlop Thorpe & Co
Mechanical Engineer: RJB
Quantity Surveyor: BDA
Structural Engineer: Randall Jones
Photography
Eric Sierens, Max Dupain & Assoc
Council
Pittwater
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About the
Professional
Established in 1999, Sam Crawford Architects (SCA) is a design driven architectural practice based in Sydney, Australia. Over the last 20 years, we have established a well-earned reputation for design excellence in residential, cultural and public projects. In addition to our expertise in these areas, we’re also commencing our work in the education sector with both private and public clients.
Our work has been widely published, nationally and internationally and has been recognised in numerous local, state and national awards from the Australian Institute of Architects, Australian Timber Design Awards, Local Government Heritage, Conservation and Urban Design as well as numerous industry awards & commendations.
PeopleOur team is led by Practice Principal and Design Director, Sam Crawford. Alongside the recognition for his built work Sam is highly regarded within the architectural profession. He has led humanitarian architectural projects, conducted gallery based and built research projects, been invited to serve as head-juror for the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) Awards, and was a joint creative-director of the 2014 Australian Institute of Architects National Conference. Sam is co-chair of the Australian Institute of Architects’ Medium Practice Forum, and a member of the Government Architect NSW State Design Review Panel.
With a practice of our size, clients can be assured that Sam is intimately involved in each project. We work in an open-plan studio environment in collaborative teams to ensure the smooth delivery of projects across all scales. Our team is comprised of highly skilled professionals, graduates and students. This mix of team members ensures that each project benefits from the close attention of a dedicated project architect with a support team to efficiently deliver the project. We also have an experienced and dedicated documentation and detailing expert who brings extensive experience of construction detailing to each project.
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