Modernist meets futuristic: The distinctive Newport house that just hit the northern beaches market

There’s something a little space-age about the design of this two-storey house, looking back at the sinuous contours of the roof and balcony, which offer treasured views across to Sydney’s Pittwater.

It’s unabashedly modern, with a sense of the residence hinting at the world of tomorrow. You could even argue the design gives a distinct nod to mid-century modern, a style of architecture that was forever leaning towards the future.

At the same time, architect Mark Hurcum sees the house – one of four he has both designed and developed on a sloping waterfront block of more than 3500 square metres at Newport, on Sydney’s northern beaches – as being squarely of the moment.

Originally looking to buy a waterfront property in which to live, the principal of Mark Hurcum Design Practice saw an opportunity to create something from the ground up that was able to both question and showcase the way we should be living today.

“I have predicted a type of building that is very 21st century Sydney,” says Hurcum, who’s selling three of the properties, with plans to live in one of the two waterfronts.

From the outside, 6a Mitala Street is designed – as are all the properties – to be at one with the landscape. For Hurcum, this means a building that works with the land and its contours.

The curved roof and balcony, for instance, trace the root ball of a massive spotted gum. The house also blends in with the soft, weathered lines of the rocks, which Hurcum says resemble “ruined castles”, as well as the palette – whites, greys, blacks and flashes of red – of the spotted gums.

The house, oriented to the sun and views, also embraces a nautical form. The lines of the house, for instance, are designed to mimic the gunwale and chine lines on boats to generate a sense of movement.

“Everything flows in that streamliner fashion,” explains Hurcum. “You get this sense of streamline and movement in a large static concrete construction. It looks like it’s moving when it’s standing still.”

Similarly, the undercroft lap pool, with its cloud-patterned ceiling, plays to these themes.

The interiors, too, are designed to operate in much the same manner – suited to people wanting to simplify their lives, without ditching everything. And they offer flexibility. Sophisticated downsizers might choose to live only on the upper level and could use the lower floor for guests, grandchildren or carers.

To this end, Hurcum has built a house for how we choose to live today that can be adapted easily for how we may live tomorrow. “We should be building buildings that are far more flexible for the future,” he says.

The property is for sale by expressions of interest, closing September 11. The guide is $5 million, according to LJ Hooker Palm Beach’s Peter Robinson.