Located within a high-risk flood zone, the site was ineligible for CDC approval. The alternative DA pathway, although technically viable, imposed significantly stricter controls on permissible internal floor area, which was insufficient to accommodate the client’s lifestyle needs. In response, the design reconsiders the boundaries of domesticity through a strategy of spatial permeability. The core concept proposes a deliberate blurring of inside and outside, encouraging semi-outdoor living and reallocating key functions to open yet sheltered zones.

Anchored by this approach, the internal kitchen is compact with space instead prioritised for concealed storage. Given the client's cultural background as a Chinese-Australian family and their cooking habit, the design includes an expansive alfresco kitchen. Equipped with a gas cooktop and protected on three sides, this space functions as a semi-enclosed outdoor room, offering the ventilation and robustness required for intensive cooking, while retaining spatial intimacy.

Beyond the alfresco, a gently stepped sequence responds to the elevated floor, leading downward to the rear garden. At the midpoint, an outdoor retreat is tucked beneath a roofed canopy, providing a sheltered yet open extension of the living space. Taking advantage of Sydney’s temperate climate, the space is conceived as a secondary lounge—suitable for family gatherings, quiet rest, or informal outdoor living throughout most of the year.

The entry condition also reinforces the project’s central idea of inhabiting the “outside within.” Adjacent to the front door, a double-height internal courtyard introduces natural light and passive ventilation deep into the plan, while also offering a tranquil and private garden moment, conceived as a hidden room in the landscape. Through this sequence of spatial thresholds, the architecture redefines the edge of enclosure, celebrating porosity, adaptability, and the richness of dwelling beyond the conventional building envelope.