Australia |, DeWald Haus

A family home in subtropical bushland, planned in two wings around a double-height lounge that opens to the deck, the pool, and the lawn.

De Wald Haus steps down a sloped block in Forest Glen in black-clad volumes and rendered white walls. The ground floor is organized in two wings. The main wing holds the garage, workshop, laundry, media room, and an open kitchen, dining, and lounge. A second wing, set at 45 degrees, contains the entry, powder room, bathroom, and a guest bedroom. A ramp gives step-free access from the street to the front porch.

The kitchen, dining, and lounge open through sliding doors to a covered deck with an outdoor BBQ kitchen, a 10 × 5 m pool, and a level lawn for play. The lounge is double height, with a fireplace and an open stair to the upper floor.

Upstairs, a bridge crosses the void above the lounge and connects two more bedrooms - one with a climbing wall and net mezzanine - a rumpus room with a day bed and drop-down projector screen, a study, a family bathroom with a freestanding tub, and a reading nook on the landing. The master suite sits on its own level at the top of the house, looking back over the pool and the surrounding bushland.