Right Angle

Geometric lines and a palette of stone and glass add up to a modernist marvel of a home, with a sinuous staircase the surprise element at its heart.

- Chris Pearson

When designer Greg Natale first saw US architect Paul Rudolph’s Milam house in 2005, it “blew him away” with its cubed, sculptural lines and minimalist celebration of concrete, stone and glass. He stored this in the back of his mind until he found a time and place to draw inspiration from it. Years later, this three-storey home overlooking a bush-clad gully in Sydney’s inner west offered him the perfect opportunity.

Taking his cues from that 1961 Florida classic, Greg has imbued it with his own distinctive design flourishes, though they’re more muted than expected. Ironically, his homage to the right angle reflects Greg’s ability to think outside the box.

“I loved the Milam house’s cubed form,” he says. “As the owners wanted modern, clean and minimal, I thought this would be a way to add interest and complexity, and it would suit the topography of this site.” He explored the cube idea on the front facade and then employed several cantilevers as the house steps back on the site. Meanwhile, a palette of blockwork, stone and glass features both inside and out, so the home feels grounded in its setting but paradoxically, it also touches the earth lightly.