Built on one of Sydney’s most spectacular sites, Headland House is designed with one priority in mind: to take full advantage of its undisturbed Eastern and Southern views of the iconic stretch of Pacific ocean from its vantage point atop the Ben Buckler cliffs.

This family home is designed to be mutable, shape shifting with the weather patterns of the tides beneath it; it can open to welcome placid, warm conditions, and has the converse ability to protectively bunker down in rough weather. It is a home that exists in fluctuating alignment with the ocean beneath it, adapting to mother nature’s temperament rather than working against it.

MHNDU knew from the first site visit that this was a special location. With a connection to the view as the primary guiding design principle, the early decision was made to place all the services on the western side, freeing up the bedrooms, living, dining and terrace spaces to benefit from sea views. The competing needs of allowing interior transparency to the view and ensuring adequate privacy were further addressed by the design of the home’s moveable powder coated stainless steel screens. The blades have the ability to open all the way to ninety degrees while withstanding forceful winds, and provide shade and privacy from the elements as well as from tourist activity in the cul de sac. The prominent screens had to be uncompromisingly practical yet aesthetically mindful, culminating in a feat of engineering skill which is detailed in a rattan pattern, softening their external form. Powered by geothermal technology and an array of photovoltaic panels on the roof, the home harnesses the potential of its positioning in order to significantly reduce its environmental footprint day to day.

Headland House is a unique residential offering. On a stormy day, the waves crash against the cliffs beneath and spray motions up to the windows. Intentionally exposed to, yet safe from, the elements, the home itself is a design homage to the quintessential stretch of sea which laps beneath it.