Unfolding as a series of stunning sweeping curves and magnificent volumes, Backdune House has a deep respect for its setting on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. On the lands of the Garigal people, the home recalls elements of its environment, with an abundance of our stone reflecting the geology of the neighbouring headland.
Moulded by Peter Stutchbury’s decades-long experimentation with principles of tent architecture, the home is, above all else, open – to the landscape, to the movements of daily life, to the moods of its coastal locale. Its most striking features include grand timber doors and a generously scaled roof form that bends to encapsulate the home, avoiding what the architect calls “the squareness of the box”. This brings a certain awareness to the owners, one that “tempts them to participate a little bit more, not just with the environment but with the spirituality of the place.”
Integral to the rich tapestry of the home’s visual narrative is a confluence of natural materials. Layers of tactility and quality finishes were chosen not only for aesthetic appeal but because their solid composition and longevity promise a lifetime of loving use. “If I need material that doesn’t weather, I’ll choose stone or concrete,” says Peter.
Anchoring the residence is our hard-wearing Wyndam limestone, which forms the internal floors and upstairs balconies. Possessing a natural earthiness and warm grey tones speckled and swirled with light flecks, the tiles express an organic and subtle depth. Inherently robust, the stone will stand the test of time, ageing gracefully both indoors and out, collecting history in its lightly distressed surface.
Inviting outward gaze, the architect says this “brings a certain awareness to the owners”, one that “tempts them to participate a little bit more, not just with the environment but with the spirituality of the place.”
Forming the backbone of the home is a central axis that splits Backdune House into two distinct living wings. Clad in Baw Baw dry stone walling, the irregular split surface creates a ridged feature wall that evokes nature’s rawness. Rugged and hardy, the stone’s grey-to-caramel-brown colouring is an ideal unifier of the home’s overall palette.
Also contributing to the home’s textural richness, two formats of Porphyry meet outdoors, paving the courtyard areas. Porphyry Baguettes and crazy paving echo the strong relationship to stone seen in the rest of the home, their tonal variation playing into the grey palette while introducing shades of rich burgundy. With a rustic split finish, each Italian Porphyry stone possesses natural imperfections that underlie Backdune’s organic connection to the land.
Much like the surrounding environment’s sedimentary rock that accumulates in layers over time, Backdune House forges an imprinted memory that will be cultivated by its inhabitants for years to come.
