The Consistent Architectural Language of Glebe House

Behind its enigmatic facade, this modestly sized but generously proportioned four-bedroom house on a tight inner Sydney site provides an exemplary balance of imagination and restraint. A rigorous exploration of the parabolic arch has produced a richly sculptural but highly efficient living environment that responds to the needs of each member of the family – adults and children – offering spaces for retreat and celebration, openness and privacy.

The consistent architectural language and limited material palette translates its neighbours’ Victorian decorativeness into a work of originality, free of pastiche or sentimentality. It is truly a house for the 21st century. While the refined, almost minimalist detailing and carefully arranged photographs suggest otherwise, it is an environment that can effortlessly and elegantly accommodate the contradictions and clutter of family life.

The house expands the potential of a small building by juxtaposing unexpected elements: the monumentally scaled windows and the modest spaces inside; the lush joinery curves of the internal walls and the simple white timber boarding of its envelope; the simple prism of its external volume and the complex sculpture of its interior.

The architects’ and the builders’ undeniable skill in detail and material results in a building that looks effortless but surprising, meeting the brief with real beauty. In the clients’ own words, ‘it is inviting and luxurious and yet simple and humble.

Project Information

Architect: Chenchow Little

Photography: Peter Bennetts