In recent years, one of Sydney's lesser-known small suburbs in the Northern Beaches has become a place of retreat from the busy city life. Warriewood, located 25km north of Sydney's CBD and under the jurisdiction of the Northern Beaches Council. Urban planning, land subdivision and planning controls imposed by the city have resulted in the successful urban renewal and reservation of the characters of this small and quiet coastal town. Warriewood features parkland reserves, wetlands, beautiful beaches and the Warriewood Square shopping centre, making it a family-friendly place to live.

The Triangle House explores how design can be manifested to achieve architectural excellence while considering the characteristics of the surrounding urban context. As the urban planning and land subdivision create a distinctive triangular shape on the site, the house design is emphasised by a triangular geometrical form that follows the alignment of the road and the boundaries of the site.

Functionally, the ground floor features an open plan living and dining space and the upper floor features more private and enclosed bedrooms and ensuites. The elements that make up the house are both simple and complex. The simplicity comes from the clarity of the scale and proportion, the distinctive use of materials that differentiate the ground and upper floors; whilst the complexity comes from the richness of the spatial planning. Due to the level difference in the site topography, the ground floor level is slightly raised, allowing the open living space, kitchen and dining to be connected to an external terrace with views of the parkland reserve in the distance, and the interior spaces to be connected to the private outdoor garden at the rear of the house, creating a semi-outdoor space for family gatherings and relaxation. The upper level of the house features four bedrooms with a shared bathroom and an ensuite. Each of the bedrooms on the upper level has adequate ventilation and views towards nature, while the installation of privacy screens maintains the privacy of the upper lounge space.

Throughout the project, our focus has been on ecology and conservation. Narrabeen Creek – a chirruping watercourse nearby becomes part of the site, this protected ecological corridor flows to Narrabeen Lagoon and features beautiful ecosystems with an abundance of native wildlife. Consequently, there are no traditional man-made fence to the front of the house. Shrubs, hedges of native plants and landscaping are implemented to replace the boundary fences. This facilitates path identification and siting for local wildlife nearby.