Holman House by Durbach Block Jaggers: A Cliffside Masterpiece Inspired by Picasso

Perched on the edge of a 70-meter-high cliff in Dover Heights, just west of central Sydney, the Holman House by Durbach Block Jaggers is a powerful architectural response to landscape, art, and structure. Completed in 2004, this award-winning residence merges sculptural form with inhabitable poetry.

Inspired by Picasso’s painting The Bather, the plan is anything but conventional. The design features fluid, dynamic living spaces wrapped in a sinuous perimeter that arcs, folds, and stretches to follow light, view corridors, and the cliffside terrain.

Cantilevered Elegance Over the Pacific

One of the home’s most dramatic features is its cantilevered living and dining spaces, which project boldly over the cliff’s edge. From these rooms, sweeping panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean unfold in both directions, evoking a visceral connection between architecture and the elements.

The lower floor is constructed from rough stone, grounding the structure into the landscape and echoing the natural cliffs below. This base also supports a series of terraced gardens and a vase-shaped rock pool, designed to feel like an organic extension of the terrain.

“The perimeter is shaped in direct response to the landscape, sun, and the painting’s figurative forms,” – Durbach Block Jaggers

Recognition and Awards

Holman House has received significant architectural recognition:

  • 2004 – Featured in Sydney Open Historic Houses Trust Tour

  • 2005 – Winner, Wilkinson Award for Residential Architecture (NSW)

  • 2005 – Winner, National Award for Housing, Australian Institute of Architects

These accolades celebrate the project’s innovation, poetic form, and sensitivity to its exceptional location.

A House That Lives Between Land, Art, and Sky

Holman House embodies a philosophy of spatial flow and sculptural form, rejecting the rigid geometries of traditional residential design. The result is a home that feels like a living figure, shaped by natural forces, historical reference, and artistic imagination.

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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck
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Photography © Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell, Chris Cole, John Gollings, Reiner Blunck

Holman House by Durbach Block Jaggers is more than a residence—it is a bold architectural gesture at the intersection of land, art, and sky. With a footprint inspired by modernist art and natural topography, it stands as one of Australia’s most iconic contemporary homes.

Posted by Durbach Block Jaggers

Durbach Block Jaggers (DBJ) is a Sydney-based architectural studio led by Neil Durbach, Camilla Block, and David Jaggers. Established in 1987, the firm is renowned for its inventive and sculptural designs that engage deeply with context, landscape, and materiality. Their work spans residential, public, educational, and cultural projects, characterized by complex geometries, layered spaces, and a commitment to creating architecture that is both poetic and purposeful. DBJ's approach emphasizes a seamless integration of architecture and landscape, aiming for designs that are confident yet courteous, and environmentally sustainable. Their projects often challenge conventional forms, resulting in buildings that are both surprising and contextually resonant. The studio's excellence has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2020 NSW Architecture Medallion, the Sir G. Stephenson Award for Commercial Architecture, and the John Verge Award for Interior Architecture for the Phoenix Central Park project.