A Process of Reduction – Castlecrag House by Polly Harbison Design

Through a process of reduction, Castlecrag takes the less common path of subtracting elements and refining what remains. Polly Harbison Design brings a sense of clarity and purpose to a confused home of grand proportions, distilling spatially a sense of clarity through a natural flow and connection to the unique landscape setting.

Nestled into its own dense bush landscape milieu, Castlecrag is located in the suburb of its namesake, and was inherited as a mammoth family home. Previously home to a family of ten children, the remaining structure had seen plenty of earned use and still remained unfazed. In order to align with a revised brief and create a home more connected to its site, a less familiar path was adopted, taking away from instead of adding to the whole. From its base, the structure remained uncompromised, and its scale allowed the ideal base from which to carve from, opening and punctuating to create key connections between inside and out, while still retaining the original core of the home. Polly Harbison Design transforms the post-war home through a revised plan and the injection of a series of spatial connections that directly relate to the site and surrounding landscape.

Built by Hawkett Constructions and with landscaping by Bates Landscaping, Castlecrag was in much need of natural light, connections beyond the built envelope and the subjective feeling of beauty and originality. Working within the existing footprint, at the core of the efforts was the inward welcoming of natural light, particularly into the centre of the home. Viewing each of the spaces instead as ‘garden rooms’ reinforced the home’s purpose as a place deeply connected to its site, focused on its garden. In response to the clients whose love of preparing meals and entertaining is at the heart of their home, one of the existing rear wings was replaced by a new outdoor room and the kitchen is revived as an enduring space to gather at the centre of the home.

Viewing each of the spaces instead as ‘garden rooms’ reinforced the home’s purpose as a place deeply connected to its site, focused on its garden.

The many insertions of refined detail elevate the experience of the home and celebrate the threshold and portal experience of moving from the inside to out. As a nod to the client’s Portuguese heritage, the palette takes on similar stylings through finish and materiality. Stucco painted walls celebrate the indoor/outdoor purpose of the home, while large openings and archways draw focus to the garden beyond. The use of timber against the painted plaster and masonry elements offers a welcomed sense of balance, while the steel framed openings neatly define openings.

Through an opening process, Castlecrag House connects to its generous and lush site, beautifully framing views. Polly Harbison Design has taken a path less travelled in their reductionist approach and resultingly injected a purpose and meaning into the home’s grand proportions and storied past.

The many insertions of refined detail elevate the experience of the home and celebrate the threshold and portal experience of moving from the inside to out.