Designed by McBride Charles Ryan this house has an amazing, cutting edge shape and a pool near it. All that is placed on a quite small allotment but outdoor area is more than cool for such small space. Street frontage planting sets a casual but vibrant tone to the property. Flowering grasses soften and spill over level changes, curtains of deep green creeper cascade over stone clad walls and the brilliant lilac of Jacaranda bloom splashes a hit of colour against the somber tone of the building. Boundary walls and fences were draped with climbing plants to provide green backdrops to the texture pavements. Further layering was done by using espaliered plantings in front of the walls. The positioning and selection of trees was critical to allow ease of movement around the property and to avoid congestion at canopy height. The result of the architect’s work is a harmonious but sometimes surprising outdoor space with the cutting edge house. [Eckersley Garden Architecture]