THE DAILY TELEGRAPH MAGAZINE, 2001.

"OPEN SECRET"

Its views are pure Sydney but this serene open-plan home looks to the orient for its design, writes Jacqui McGill.

The sweeping views of middle harbour are unmistakably Sydney, yet to step into the stunning home created by Michael Ferrier and wife Terri-Helen Gaynor is to journey to the orient. With its louvred windows, ceiling fans, a central courtyard featuring a Balinese-style outdoor bath and an impressive collection of exotic furnishings, ornaments and artworks, this is a house that would be at home anywhere in Asia.

Yet its right here, in a spot not long ago occupied by a Californian bungalow that had endured three renovations. "We wanted to create something open-plan - that was the first broad principle," says Michael. "Also, through living in Asia we'd accumulated quite a lot of things we wanted to include."

To create the right space for their collection of Asian treasures, Michael and Terri-Helen called on the skills of architect Patrick Nicholas of Patrick Nicholas Design Pty Ltd.

"Because we wanted an open-plan design, there was always going to be a lot of glass," says Michael. "We're lucky in that the north side of the house gets quite a bit of winter sun. In summer, however, the sun is directly overhead and we were conscious it would create a lot of heat. "We wanted a bit of privacy and protection from the westerly sun but we wanted to create some atmosphere.

"We were trying to create something contemporary that also combined some of the design features of Asian properties and lifestyle," he says. All these wishes were granted when Patrick Nicholas came up with an open-plan design that maximised natural ventilation and light while ensuring protection from the scorching summer sun.

The structural design relies on natural principles to create a passive cooling system throughout. Spit-face concrete blocks were used to provide solid shelter and privacy on the southern side, while on the northern side, pavilions of steel and glass provide a light and airy feel.

Glass and timber louvres have been strategically placed to catch breezes from any direction while stainless-steel ceiling fans complete the task of circulating air. In winter, ceiling heating provides warmth in every room, with supplementary heat generated by Jetmaster fireplaces in the living room and main bedroom. "We didn't want air-conditioning because we'd need to have the house closed up, which would defeat the purpose of an open-plan design," says Michael.

As it is, the doors of this cool, tropical-style home - awarded the prestigious title of House Of The Year (single residential) by the local council in 2001 - can be flung open wide so the home's outdoor areas naturally form extra living spaces. A wide deck, semi-enclosed by cedar timber louvres and venetian blinds is a natural extension of the front living room.

A contemporary kitchen featuring stainless steel benches and appliances and cupboards finished in the velvet textured look of sycamore veneer over-looks the back garden and steps leading up to a large swimming pool with a built-in water feature. The inviting pool has been lined with black pebblecrete containing pieces of quartz crystal which sparkle at night under lights.

A north-facing courtyard, with a Balinese-style outdoor bath flanked by two statues and a touch of tropical greenery, forms a centrepiece of the home. Visible through glass from one end of the house to the other and warmed by morning and afternoon sun, it forms a focal point that exudes tranquility throughout. Timber features extensively, with windows framed in western red cedar and polished floors in the rich and varied colours of spotted gum. "We used narrow, 60mm floorboards because they don't move as much," explains architect Patrick Nicholas.

Timber furniture, art works and souvenirs from Tibet, China and elsewhere in Asia add to the oriental feel. In the formal dining room, the door of a monastery, now sealed under glass, forms an unusual table top. Intricately carved Chinese timber door panels have been carefully set into new timber doors to create a unique new look. In the sitting/reading room, a serene spot adjacent to the courtyard, stained-glass doors from an old Asian cabinet have been inlaid into the timber-panelled foldaway doors, mirroring rainbows of light through the room.

The play of light created by shafts filtering through narrow slats of spotted gum, continues at the stairs leading up to the next level and down to the garage and basement-level gym and rumpus rooms. Floor-to-ceiling shelves line with books and Chinese emperor dolls form a backdrop to the stairs that lead to the bridge - a great divide between the main bedroom and family bedrooms.

One side of the bridge leads to the main bedroom, an en suite bathroom, study and walk-in-robe. The other side leads to three family bedrooms - one with an ensuite bathroom - and the main bathroom, with its generous semi-recessed double vanity. A second timber deck flows to the main bedroom, en suite bathroom and study, inviting in the outdoors and forming a semi-enclosed parents' bath and its possible to step straight from the tub onto the private deck with its expansive views of Middle Harbour.

The en suite bathrooms, like the main bathroom, are warmed by floor heating and feature unusual terazzo vanity tops inlaid with real shells. It all combines to create a cool, tropical, relaxed ambience a word away from the frenzied pace of the city.

Though the house was built in 10 months from knockdown to completion, the site - long, narrow and sloping - did pose some challenges. Along with architect Patrick Nicholas, the owners called on the assistance of landscaper Angus McDonald from Earth and Stone, Mary Louise from Intrinsic Interiors and builder Simon Manson of Blue Edge Constructions to turn this dream home into a reality.

"The whole house was tricky," says Manson, who confesses he has a love of natural timber." There was so much detail that it wasn't possible to express it all in drawings - you just had to physically do it and see how it evolved. And isn't that always the case when you're creating a work of art?