The Palm Beach House
To overcome the problems of building on a cliff face with numerous rock shelves, architect Ken Woolley designed a timber 'tower' with multiple outdoor decks and balconies that connect the house to the cliff face.
Ken Woolley is a renowned and multi-award winning architect active between the 1950s and the 1990s. In the 1960s he worked for the project home company Pettit & Sevitt, and thousands of homes have been built from his designs. Between 1984 and 1985 he designed and built a family weekender at Palm Beach which received the Wilkinson Award in 1987.
I liked the notion of having a small footprint, and the idea of a tower-like house, which would in itself be a staircase up the cliff terminating in a bridge at the back, evolved.
Ken Woolley quoted in 70/80/90 Iconic Australian Houses: three decades of domestic architecture, by Karen McCartney
Published on
Related
Various times
Tour
Parramatta Heritage Tour: Rosehill and Harris Park
Celebrate the Australian Heritage Festival with a guided tour of Elizabeth Farm, Hambledon Cottage and Experiment Farm Cottage
70 Alice Street, Rosehill NSW 2142
Saturday 10 May 10am–12pm
Latest News
Sydney Open 2025: expressions of interest for building partners
Expressions of interest are now open to join Sydney Open 2025 as a building partner
Past event
Heritage Tours of Cockatoo Island’s Powerhouse
In our latest Sydney Open Series event, the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust is opening the doors to Cockatoo Island’s Powerhouse
Saturday 12 April 10am–10.45am
Ornament source books
Bringing together examples of surface and decorative ornament from a range of periods and cultures, ornament source books provided inspiration for designers, artists, sculptors and architects