The clean and minimal white design of architect Edward Lukac’s Tennyson House cuts a sharp line against the clear blue sky.

Lukac has succeeded in maximising the natural light entering the recently completed home, while still providing shade from the sun.

“The light is a critical part of the designs that I do – how you get light into the building,” he explains. “A lot of how the volumes and the spaces come together is about getting light to penetrate into parts of the building so you get to experience that transition between the light and the dark.

“It’s part of the contrast and overall atmosphere we were seeking to create.”

The building’s entrance leads into a towering double-storey central foyer where the house then breaks off into its distinct areas. The brief required that those distinct areas provided “separate domains that were varied in scales of privacy for each of the occupants”.

The “scales of privacy” range through public, semi-public, semi-private and private spaces.

“The children have their own private area, the parents have a retreat area upstairs, and the kids have a retreat area upstairs as well,” Lukac says.

The semi-private combined kitchen and living area at the back of the home opens out on to the pool and the backyard.

With its position near the coast, the Tennyson House’s design fulfils the second major theme of the brief by taking advantage of the views towards the ocean and back over West Lakes toward the city and Adelaide Hills.

In collaboration with the clients – who had a very clear view of what they were looking for in terms of aesthetics – Lukac has delivered minimal and graceful detailing using a simple palette of materials.

Interested in architecture? InDaily Design has partnered with the Australian Institute of Architects SA to run the City of Adelaide People’s Choice Award for the best public architecture project in the CBD. Click here to vote.