Angophora House was designed by Richard Cole Architecture, and it is located in Waverton, a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The unique interior mixes the use of steel, wood, and stone, and emphasizes the goal of allowing as much natural light as possible seep inside. The design slips beneath the canopies of these beautiful trees, with their smooth pink bark and twisted limbs.

Architects who specialize in mountain design architecture most often utilize natural materials and warm, earthy colors. Roofs may consist of cedar shakes or slate, sometimes with copper accents. Siding is frequently cedar (boards, shake shingles or logs) and stone.

The renovation and addition of this design to a 1920’s era bungalow is the story of the stewardship of an existing resource from a state of aging into a “second life,” blending tradition and modernity in form and detail.

Sagging structural elements and a cascade of subsequent incremental failures such as leaking window heads and walls out-of-plumb necessitated the removal of the roof and the second floor.

The essential nature of this architectural design home by Greene & Greene begins with intense attention to detail and craftsmanship, as their bungalows mark the height of the American Arts and Crafts style. The brothers were inspired by the concept of total design, or gesamtkunstwerk, which was stressed in the German-designed rooms at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase International Exposition in St. Louis.

This custom residential design is inspired as much by its unique setting as the client’s lifestyle. Due to the irregular shape of the site, which includes a small grove of eucalyptus and pine trees, only one of the 3.5 acres is buildable land. To maximize the views, the house was split into two wings – north and south – which turn away from the motor court to face an expansive lawn and the surrounding canyon views.