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Residential estates by nature force open lifestyles with little allowance for privacy and almost no walling allowed to the street and other public spaces. The client commissioned ARCA Unlimited to design a modern home on a highly visible pasture stand in Southdowns Estate. The design had to balance open-plan living with the control of privacy. A high wall incorporated on the road interface of the house generates a perception of privacy and acts as a barrier between public and private spaces. The entrance, designed as a massive metal-clad portal, further enforces this divide between public and private. A third control is the entrance hall that opens up around a corner into the living area, from which the panoramic views of the pasture can be enjoyed. The house is built in an H-shape; rooms that face the pasture are glass clad with moveable wood and steel shutters that can be opened or closed as needed.