Willoughby Bay House

Cammeraygal Land

01/ Background / Project overview

Perched atop Hawkesbury sandstone, on the waterfront at the eastern edge of Willoughby Bay and Northbridge Reserve, the Willoughby Bay House reimagines a family home that celebrates its extraordinary setting. The north-south oriented property spans 2030 m², with a dramatic 32-meter vertical drop to the water’s edge.

Originally built in the mid-1990s and purchased by our client in late 2019, the property featured a garage with a lift, a tennis court, the existing house, pool, degraded terraced gardens, and a jetty. Initially, our client’s brief was largely cosmetic, wanting to refurbish the existing structures and add a boatshed. However, what started as a purely cosmetic refurbishment of a 1990s waterfront property evolved into a thoughtfully considered home that honours its scenic surroundings and environmental positioning.

02 / Challenges 

Although the project was for a private residence, the Willoughby Bay House presented public-facing environmental and planning challenges. Positioned on a sensitive foreshore our responsibility to protect and enhance the foreshore was a primary focus. The design sought to balance private amenity with public interest, achieved through strategies such as view-sharing from public roads and footpaths, restoring site permeability, rehabilitating native plantings, addressing geotechnical stability, and maintaining public access along the waterfront. These interventions ensure the long-term ecological health of the site and enhanced public amenity.

03/ Approach

DKC’s design approach managed to marry beauty and functionality in the final design. The existing home was sensitively extended and reconfigured to improve spatial flow and connection to the landscape. A new carport upgraded entry sequence, and an external walkway were introduced. The reimagined outdoor spaces include a new infinity-edge pool and cabana, commanding uninterrupted harbour views. The gardens, once eroded and overgrown, were transformed into structured terraces cascading toward the bay. A prefabricated staircase, inclinator, and timber-lined boatshed, tie the upper and lower portions of the site together, creating a journey from home to harbour.

04/ Process / Materials

Durable materials like copper weave through the design, from the boatshed roof to the cabana and carport, echoing the earthy hues of the Australian bush. Refined geometry contrasts with the untamed beauty of native flora and bay waters, while its detailing and robust materiality—off-form concrete, stone, and copper—shape a timeless sanctuary built to endure.

05/ Design Impact

Willoughby Bay House exemplifies how thoughtful and site-attentive design can enhance both private living and public amenity. The project revitalised a neglected property into a sustainable, multi-generational family home that complements its environmental positioning. Through careful intervention and material honesty, it respects the land’s topography and ecology while enriching the public domain through view-sharing and foreshore access. It stands as a refined and resilient architectural response that elevates the experience of living at the edge of Willoughby Bay.

Architectural Team 

Jon King

Alexander Cassar

Liliana Schlager

Interiors Team

Katie King

Sarah Adams

Sinead Spence

Victoria Saliakouras