Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Architecture Wednesday: Hollander House, The Organic Wave House

Architect David Hollander designed this home, the Hollander House, between 1969 and 1971 using hand-formed ferro cement to mimic the contours of a wave. It’s lauded as a prime example of Australian organic architecture—it was even voted one of the country’s top five houses in 1973—with living spaces ‘cascading’ over three levels and curvilinear interior spaces.

Rooms inside the three-bedroom home have elliptical, white-plastered walls and furniture and cabinetry created specifically for the home. The main space is the dramatic double-height living room, set around a sunken conversation pit with a curvy banquette, a colossal fireplace with a concrete hearth, and an original 1971 Curtis Jeré wall installation.

Hollander installed ‘light folds’ and ‘sky domes’ to draw light into the deepest recesses of the home, and sliding glass doors further amplify light flow across the home, which sits within bushland, surrounded by gum trees a short walk from Newport Beach.

A previous owner added the decking to the outside space, and the property has been upgraded with a whole-house water filtration system, electric vehicle charger and an ozone purifier.

Click to emBIGGERate ...

32 comments:

  1. NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I wanted to live in a spaceship, I'd just say Beam Me Up!!!!!

    I'll be in the corner with Duchess Deedles if anyone is looking for me,

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    1. It is definitely not for everyone ... I love the land and the trees but I think of Star Wars when I see it.
      I do appreciate the design, though.

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    2. Mads, shh! I'm hiding!

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  2. Some of these 'quirky' houses are way too complicated to 'live' in them, but this one feels more accessible. I love the idea of being so organic (few hard, sharp edges) and the idea of skylights is always a plus.

    XOXO

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    1. It's got some nice touches, I like the property much more than the house.
      xoxo

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  3. It is novel, and the floorplan shows thought in design. It might be fun for a while. I know at least one person who would tumble from the dining room into the conversation pit, probably more than once.

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    1. That would be me having the fall!

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  4. Yes, I would need a handrail to get down into and up out of that conversation pit! ;)

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    1. It's a hazard for a clumsy oaf like me!

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  5. Replies
    1. As a college professor used to say, "Concise, yet cogent!"

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  6. Love to see others' visions come to life. You will always have me at the welcoming grounds. The outdoor spaces/decks are great. The home is a little too niche for me.

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    1. I do like the property more than the home, too.

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  7. It's bizarre but I kind of love it. I bet it's going to be a hard sell, though!

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    1. It's a very specific client, Steve, so maybe it's yours???

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  8. It's a little too Seusian for my taste. Yes, we're pretending that I have taste. Big nope.

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    1. But Green Eggs and Ham on the deck??? Nope????

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  9. Anonymous11:32 AM

    the dog's mother
    Like the grounds!
    xoxo :-)

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    1. That's what I like best, too!

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  10. Cleora Borealis11:59 AM

    Wuh? I'm supposed to see a wave? What I see is that weird, elongated mask from the "Scream" movie! But, if I can get through the front door and never see it again, I think a 2-week vacation there would be a kick! I'd have to bring my own chair, though, 'cause I don't see a single place to sit down and relax! Every seat is the biggest butt/back-breaker I've ever seen! Ouch! 😖

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    1. It does have it's quirks ... maybe a vacation home???

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  11. The idea kinda works until it crashes into the reality of rectilinear standard production windows and exterior door frames. I like the idea of the sinuous walls reflecting light throughout the day, but placing art and furniture becomes an issue unless your taste is for sculpture instead of 2 D prints, paintings and drawings. At this point, the Conversation Pit is high cam p.It just screams 1970s Marin County swinger. Even though the house is in Australia, if you sit quietly, you can hear the screams. It needs to be preserved as either an historically significant example of 1970s kitsch or an example of things to never do again.

    Will Jay

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    1. "if you sit quietly, you can hear the screams" 😂😂😂

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  12. I remember when this was new and I loved it. Not so much anymore, but it is a fun romp. Interesting how dated the windows and sliders have become. Anyway, it makes me sing The Flintstones theme song.

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    1. It really is a Fred and Wilma space! Or for a Wookie.

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  13. It's a unique property, but I don't think I'd like it any more in person than in the photographs. Just a little two quirky for my taste.

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    1. I like to see the quirk but living in it might get old, quickly.

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  14. Interesting, I will say.

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  15. It's almost a Hobbit House and I quite like it, but don't think I could live in it.

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    1. I think that's the way I feel; like it, but not to live in.

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