Taking on a block that many have deemed impossible to build upon, Luigi Rosselli Architect and Raffaello Rosselli Architect have teamed up to create Sandcastle, a home that sits on a challenging 45 degree slope. None of this was able to deter a young couple from engaging with the architects to create the home in Point Piper.

Upon approaching Luigi Rosselli Architects with their vision for the project, Raffaello, his son, was keen to collaborate with his father in conjunction with operating his own practice. Luigi believed that a young architect would be a good match for the couple in terms of engagement and understanding, and thus the partnership was struck.

The Rosselli’s were careful to maintain the natural slope of the site within the structure of the house, but aimed to do so without an excess of staircases and retaining walls. The street access at the bottom of the site was partially hidden below ground next to the garage. One follows a winding set of stairs to re-emerge above the entry gate onto a small plateau that offers a view towards the beach across the road. From there a steep garden stair with a rope handrail leads to the front door. Those aware of the lift can completely bypass the manual routes, which is positioned at the end of a tunnel at the street entry-level.

Construction of the home was understandably difficult. Large amounts of sand was required to be excavated in order to accommodate the lift tunnel and the house. Once excavated the sand was stored on-site in large bags and then used to reconstruct the site’s original topography. Raffaello Rosselli’s ingenious method of stabilizing the sand like dunes defied both the engineers and the landscapers, who believed retaining walls were required to hold the sand in place. The method uses horizontal layers of fabric to wrap back the sand layer over layer was employed. The sand substrate was then covered with native grasses and plants.

The name Sandcastle is derived from the towering castle-like appearance of the home, and the granular material that surrounds the home. The three-story rise of this home is a result of the intention to lower the entry as close as possible to ground level, raise the upper levels to take advantage of the aspect of the site, and create a vertical link from the entry to the living and bedroom levels on the upper floors.

The theme of sand is echoed in the dwelling’s masonry, with handmade bricks in a light custom colour containing a rich textural and timeless appeal. Using the same bricks, shade from the sun is provided through a number of sunscreens that provide transparency and shade without weakening the structure. The middle level of the home features a north-facing courtyard with a flat surface that allows children to play a number of ball games without losing the balls down the slope.

In spite of a harshly sloped site, Both Luigi Rosselli Architect and Raffaello Rosselli Architect have created a three-story home that embraces the theme of being a sandcastle. Through their work, they have alleviated potential issues of topography, maintenance and accessibility with a number of thoughtful implementations that have allowed the house to meld beautifully with the site, that looks relatively untapped.