Palm Garden House (1974鈥�76) marks a most听important moment in Australian housing. Its light cradling of space听and absolute immersion in landscape has affected and inspired听generations of architects.

The house hugs the western earth wall and tucks into听a palm-filled gully on Sydney鈥檚 Northern Beaches. For 45 years听it has nourished its owner, who shares it with the birds, insects听and water dragons that inhabit this cool, meandering oasis听of garden and water.听

Clearly influenced by his time in Japan and his deep听respect for land and landscape,听Leplastrier听chose to place two听small-footprint rooms with their vaulted, hull-like ceilings toward听the west of the site and to connect these pavilions with a linear听arbour of fine steel framing. A secondary roof runs the length听of a southern rammed-earth wall and protects the compact听service spaces. The earth wall continues beyond the pavilions听and lightly defines the garden within a palm grove. As听Leplastrier听explains, 鈥淚mplicitness is far听more alive and rich听and experiential听than explicitness.鈥� *

The craft and craftsmanship evident in Palm Garden听House heighten the awareness of the hands that have made听these spaces. The high, semicircular roof rolls back and opens听to the sky, a fly roof of rolled copper sits above the rich timber听ceiling, origami-like pleated fabric fills the arch and fabric听walls can be lowered and raised. The play of materials and听detail, solidity and fragility, complexity and simplicity听is听deeply听memorable. Palm Garden House is ephemeral yet enduring,听complex yet elemental, garden yet house.