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The Highgate Hill house is located on a steep site containing a verdant and mature landscape consisting of a mixture of native and exotic. This created an opportunity to place the house within a rich landscape environment. To connect the house to the outdoor ground plane, the living level directly embraces the landscape whereas the upper level hovers over the ground plane as a protective canopy.To integrate the landscape with the living spaces, the external openings are of a significant scale so that the internal floor plate opens up completely to the outdoor spaces. To celebrate the transition from interior to exterior, the walls open completely via series of stacking sliding glazed timber panels. Fine vertical timber members screen the building’s upper level to the street to provide a veiled public façade that works as a series of layers laid over the building volume.In response to the dominance of the landscape, the house is entirely clad in timber where each species is selected to age in response to its orientation and weathering.