Arc. Draped House

Draped House is located in Sydney’s North in a typical suburban neighbourhood bordered by bushland, a place characterised by family homes, generous backyards and established trees.

A new build, Draped House emerges on a block characterised by three large gum trees. The most commanding, stands tall at the centre of the site and remains as the focal point of the home. The house is defined by a gently curving roof, which mimics the gradual slope of the site.

Beyond its visual function of tying the house to the landscape, the curve provides privacy from the neighbours on the high side and bends down to open up the living areas to the light. In essence, the structure seems straight-forward, slab on ground, timber framing walls and roof, but when you add the curved rafters on top of 6m walls, built on top of finished burnished structural slab, things start to get a bit more interesting. Add the material and labour shortages on top, with Covid restrictions and site shutdowns, the build no longer looks so simple.