This house was originally designed by Harry Seidler for his uncle Marcus in 1951-53 and was one of three houses on the family estate, the others being the Rose Seidler House (1948) and the Julian Rose House (1949).
This relatively modest two bedroom home of timber construction takes the form of a hollow box suspended above the terrain on slender steel columns and intersecting masonry walls.
In 1958 Harry Seidler designed an addition consisting of two additional bedrooms and a bathroom that was added to the east end of the structure while still retaining the original design of the building. A steel spiral stair case connecting the ground plane to the recessed balcony protecting the extensive northern glazing was moved to the new eastern end.
In 2004 the current owner, son of Marcus and cousin to Harry Seidler, approached the practice with the request to design a further addition for this house to accommodate his growing family and requiring nearly double the existing floor area.
The important elements of the original 1951 section of the house were retained and restored while the new floor space extended the original suspended hollow box. Alternative strategies for the required additional space were evaluated including a separated pavilion; however, in adding to the existing suspended hollow box, the strength of the original form is reinforced rather than being diminished by the new works.
At ground level the original offset opposed screen walls (one with the Seidler mural) were adopted as a device to integrate a new swimming pool, internal and external covered spaces.
The detail design of the new works was approached by adopting a few key elements from the original works such as steel frame window profiles and the balcony balustrade to establish continuity and integrity for the addition.
The existing cabinet work and furnishings, such as curtains and carpets, were restored and replaced by forensic examination of old materials found discarded on the site and new fittings were designed to complement the existing.
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