The clients purchased this property in 1992 with the sole intention of designing and building an exceptional house to capture the views and the sun overlooking the pristine waters of Yowie Bay in Sydney’s south.
After the land, slope and council’s strict code on waterfronts were carefully looked at, a four-level home was designed with a predominantly glass façade facing the water and floor-to-ceiling glass to capture the views and the northerly sun. To complement this, frameless glass balustrades were used on the balcony.
Because of the four levels, and the fact that the owner had already had one hip replacement and another one planned for the near future, he started to wonder how he would face the challenge of the stairs on a daily basis. The solution was an internal lift, but not just any lift. The hard look of a concrete or brick shaft didn’t go with the open feel of the house.
The owner began enquiries and found that Domus had a glass shaft with a lift that would fit snugly between the staircase. As an added feature to the glass lift shaft, the finish of the Domus lift, with a selection of anodised aluminium, complemented the anodised aluminium fitted to the bifold and sliding doors.
Going up or down in the lift, taking full advantage of the water views over Yowie Bay, gave a sense of openness to the open-plan living of the house.
Having a fully automated smart house that controls lighting, airconditioning, blinds, doors, the security system, pool equipment, garden irrigation, integrated sound system with speakers in every room and cabling for phones and computers meant the lift could be integrated as well. When the owner comes home, it’s as simple as swiping the smart card and the security system turns off, the garage doors open, lights come on and airconditioning is activated as the lift automatically goes to the foyer, ready to take people to their selected level in the house.
It is now a pleasure for elderly parents to visit the home as they no longer have the challenge of going up and down the stairs, which were becoming increasingly difficult to negotiate.
The lift is also an easy option for getting groceries into the home. Instead of walking up and down the stairs carrying heavy shopping bags, the lift now does all the hard work.
