Oak is a restored country house located on over two hectares on the Central Coast in New South Wales. New additions in sandstone complement the original historic home (built in two stages) which has now been restored. Extensive landscape works, including a new pool and tennis court, were carried out in conjunction with Christopher Owen of Fieldwork to connect the built works to the lake and surrounding native woodlands.
Expand ContentBalanced and organised around two axes, the interiors were remodelled and replanned to create sight lines to the landscape beyond. The resulting plan incorporates one of these axis points as the new entrance area, to connect the two original parts of the home.
Quietly luxurious materials including limestone, timber, brass and Corian were chosen internally to offset the split-face sandstone used for wall construction in both old and new parts of the house. Spaces were divided by floating white boxes rather than full height walls, leaving the impressive gabled ceilings uninterrupted.
The landscaping was integral to the design of the house and the transformation of this block. The black mosaic-lined pool, for example, lies adjacent to a lily-filled lake to create reflections of sky and landscape. A combination of Miesian horizontal planes and bands of trees draw the eye past the immediate surrounds to the natural landscape beyond.
