Introduction
Architect
Peter Stutchbury
Designed & Built
1991
Design Architect
Peter Stutchbury
Address
75 Hudson Parade, Clareville
Specifications
5 Bedroom, 4 Bath, 4 Car
Engineer
Eva Tihanyi
Designed by acclaimed architect Peter Stutchbury, West Head House is not just any Stutchbury residence but was his own home for 25 years. Stutchbury has deservedly earned highest architectural honours both in Australia and internationally and this particular home has been featured in numerous design publications. West Head House has been consistently cited for the thoughtful and innovative use of resources, melded with a deep understanding and respect of the landscape. Uniquely this is the home where Peter worked the chisels with his own hands.
“This is a large residence which still dances lightly on the landscape; a place where the beauty of the design unfolds in unexpected ways...”
Capturing the broad expanse of Pittwater to the north, while nestled within an extraordinary canopy of towering gum trees, it is a place to immediately unwind and shrug off the stress of city life – inspirational living which invites you to go barefoot and savour the warmth of the polished timber and simplicity of the design, all the while marvelling at the ingenuity and sophistication of the home.
...essential living which will invite you to go barefoot and savour the warmth of the polished timber and simplicity of the design, all the while marveling at the ingenuity and sophistication of the home.
75. Hudson Parade
West Head House is comprised of separate pavilions for living, sleeping and guest accommodation
with each dwelling responding intuitively to its unique position on the land. Broad decks join up with the interiors at every turn – this is a home which strikes a wonderful balance between living indoors and out. There is a pure sense of openness and serenity at treetop level - this house is a wonderful conduit for healthy living.
Stutchbury has always viewed the landscape as an equal partner in any design. West Head House is carefully sited to harmonise and adjust to changing light patterns and weather. Well-protected with minimal exposure to the west and south, it is particularly well-suited to the site and is very private.
The northern pavilion is designed to fly outward across the site toward sky - oriented to the north, its wing shelters open plan living, dining and cooking space. Above and below the main level are two unique bedrooms with outlooks over the gardens to the water. Nestled against the southern ridgeline are two pavilions - the owners' pavilion providing a private retreat with bedroom, large bathroom, walk in robe and deck totalling 100sqm and a small pavilion with a secondary bedroom or bunkroom for children or use as a study. A separate apartment at the crest of the drive reveals a beautifully finished studio which is fully self-contained, ideal for weekend guests or personal staff. Multiple openings connect the living areas to gardens, views and waterfront, while the main north-focused deck presents wide vistas across Pittwater and its sailing boats.
West Head House was built to the highest quality and the value is not simply in its timber and steel construction – it is in timbers being hand-selected, every board being fitted and hand-finished by a master craftsman, it is the soaring spirit which inhabits this special place. There have been only two key holders for this special place and this home will remain an innovative icon for future generations, in the careful hands of its next custodian.
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Peter Stutchbury’s own residence with recent renovations that involved him
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Multi-Pavilion design with free flowing living and entertaining areas
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Hand-crafted interiors: flooded gum walls joined by blue gum flooring
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Extensive levered windows to the outdoors and expansive platforms at each level
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Striking + serene: kitchen defined by polished hardwoods + open shelving
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Master retreat features a private deck, large bathroom and walk-in robe
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Studio apartment placed at the crest of the drive
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Sunlit north aspect with wide views over Pittwater and to West Head beyond
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Meticuously landscaped gardens of native plants
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An inspirational holiday retreat above Clareville Beach, 36km from the CBD
“It’s a place to immediately unwind, and shrug off the stress of city life.”
View Gallery
Words from Peter Stutchbury
The Stutchbury family had a history of holidays at Clareville from the early ‘60’s and after graduating from Newcastle University Peter elected to live in this wonderful pristine environment. In 1980 No. 75 Hudson Parade was
purchased as a vacant block of land.
“In those days koalas roamed the forest – often passing across our land. At summertime as the insect life increased in volume so too did human activity – often referred to as the playground of Sydney, the Northern Peninsula maintained a quality of romance and natural environment unique within any city boundaries.”
The choice to purchase No. 75 was easy, it is only three hundred paces to Clareville Beach, it is adjacent to a spotted gum forest, it has beautiful prospect overlooking Pittwater toward Longnose Point over to Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park. The land has northern prospect yet is largely protected from the south – there is a wonderful silence to this land. The koalas may have gone but in their place the wonderful red King Parrots visit for sanctuary.
"It's the beginnings of a fundamental shift in philosophy where the garden or "place" began to play a more intimate role in the nature of the building"
Windows along the entire length open up to the northern light and Pittwater
view enabling the breezes to cross the room as one is standing at canopy
level among the trees. The wide eaves offer sensible protection from both
summer sun and torrential rains. The small façade to the west minimises sun and wind load. The house was designed on return from an extended stay living in and studying the highland villages of Papua New Guinea. In some ways the village manner of living has been integrated into the thinking – the separation of structures and their inherent ‘light’ nature along with strategic changes in level dependent upon site nature.
"When living in this house there is a wonderful sense of lightness of being.
This place has a wonderful spirit which embraces you."
Location
Clareville is situated 36 km from the CBD on the shores of Pittwater, one of the most treasured waterways in Sydney. Only a short walk away from the cosmopolitan village of Avalon Beach with its trendy shops, cafes and restaurants and a short drive from the prestigious Palm Beach, Clareville offers a lifestyle choice that is arguably the very best of Sydney. West Head House sits high on Hudson Parade and is orientated and designed to maximise the Northern aspect and minimise the exposure to the West. It enjoys a sheltered position, away from the strong winds that beset many of the beachfront properties. As well as having the feel of a treehouse it also could just as easily be called a beach house. Nearby steps on Hudson Parade lead directly down to Clareville beach. The beach runs from Taylors Point in the south and north along the Pittwater foreshore.
Nearby Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, the second oldest National Park in New South Wales, conserves some 15,000 hectares of sandstone bushland. Rich in Aboriginal sites, European history and native flora and fauna it is a valuable location for family leisure activities.
