V - House is a generous family home commanding views across Sydney Harbour and over the suburb to Sydney Heads. The site has a ridge running through its centre - the new house spans the ridge and creates a new topography extending a living platform that unites terraces front and back, a pool and the houses main living spaces. These core spaces are composed of elegant self-finished materials, polished blockwork, timber and stone. The bedrooms cantilever over the living spaces and are linked by voids and skylights. Below a large garage, home theatre, guest room and service spaces are partly sunk into the site connected to the outdoors via a ribbon of full height northern glazing. The houses landscape exploits its Sydney sandstone topography and creates a coastal oasis setting.
Photography: Brett Boardman
Interior Designers: Arent & Pyke
Built by Horizon Habitats
Heidi Pronk and Neil Mackenzie formed Mackenzie Pronk Architects in 2004. Neil and Heidi have experience in public building, urban design, conservation, adaptive re-use, commercial and residential buildings. The practice aims to produce high quality sustainable architectural design working closely with clients to craft unique, appropriate and cost effective design solutions.
The practice is small enough to ensure the principals involvement in all aspects of a projects design and procurement. The practice offers a full range of architectural services for a wide variety of project types tailored to the needs of the client.
Neil Mackenzie has a wide range of experience working in public building, urban design, conservation, adaptive re-use, industrial, commercial and residential buildings. Graduating with honours from Sydney University in 1993. Neil is a Registered Architect [no. 6512] and a member of the Australian Institute of Architects.
Heidi Pronk has extensive experience working locally and in the United Kingdom in public building, adaptive re-use, commercial, education and residential buildings. Heidi worked for the Government Architects Office on scholarship throughout her studies and graduated from Sydney University in 1995, is a Registered Architect [no. 7208] and a Member Australian Institute of Architects.
The studio is collaborative and seeks the involvement of staff in all facets of practice, valuing all inputs – all members of staff make coffee and the partners sweep the floors. The following people have all contributed to the ongoing success of the practice;
Jo Vrnistas, Richard Healy Finlay, Vanessa Stacy, Suyama Bodhinayake, Timmy Lum, Martin Abbott, Nicola Strange, Kitty Lee, Jack Temple, Vi Le, Amrish Maharaj, Courtney Owen, Justine Simpson, Kat Wong, Estelle Rehayem, Iva Ivanova, Jos Tarr, Shane Byrnes and Natalie Taouk.