Combining the likeness of both traditional coastal homes made of timber weatherboards and more recent contemporary suburban residences, Shane Denman Architects sought to express the house as its own vertical statement. The elements of Cypreś sit among a curated landscape, where different retreat spaces offer a natural connection from within. Softening the more linear and solid elements, the landscape buffers the site and its neighbours, creating a focused, inward-looking retreat. Sitting on a defined podium form, the main living areas are raised to the upper levels to ensure views are accessible and experienced throughout the day.
Although the space of each level is reduced when compared to adjacent homes, the vertical connections instead create a natural hierarchy and sense of separation between the rooms within. Becoming lighter as each level ascends from its brick base, the outer edges of the form are further warmed, wrapped in cypress timber cladding. Curved at the outer edges, the subtleties in the overall silhouette instil a natural sensibility to the residence that is carried through into the interior. Internally, a similar warmth is felt through the continuation of timber within the crafted joinery elements, with polished concrete flooring enabling an ease of flow between inside and out.