Award winning Glebe home breaks tradition
A bold, white vision of modern design, this award-winning Glebe home breaks from tradition with futuristic curves, arched windows and a $5.5m price tag.
2 min
Straddling Sydney’s city fringe and the inner west, Glebe is known for its architectural heritage and peppering of period terrace houses.
This Ferry Rd house is none of that. It’s a boldly white, contemporary residence that merges futuristic curves and striking arches. The adventurous departure from the neighbourhood’s historic streetscape paid off for the innovative architects, snagging the top Australian design award.
In 2020, Surry Hills-based firm Chenchow Little earned the Wilkinson Award for Residential Architecture for Glebe House.
Now the rare real estate find is on the market with Harriet France of Sotheby’s International Realty, set to go to auction on June 3 with a price guide of $5.5m.
Tony Chenchow and Stephanie Little didn’t have much to work with, just a small 374 sq m site surrounded by Victorian terraces and modern apartment blocks.
Their goal was to maximise the capacity of the tight block and create a functional, liveable space for a growing family. The result is a head-turning two-storey home with curves in all the right places.
Unlike its traditional Victorian neighbours, number 38 is a modern marvel that is as remarkable as it is practical. The signature white-clad four-bedroom house is a grand design in a pint-sized spot.
A dilapidated cottage on the site was demolished to make way for the award-winning home, which the architects crafted to be sympathetic to the existing built environment. The arched openings and windows have been created to pay homage to the grand portico entrance of the Victorian house next door.
The ground floor houses the main living areas framed by vast arched windows and polished concrete floors. A multipurpose rumpus or work-from-home space features bespoke cabinetry. The Corian and oak kitchen has integrated appliances, and the open-plan lounge and dining room spill out onto a covered terrace and rock garden.
There is also a concealed powder room and laundry, plus a store room all on the lower level, further showcasing the savvy use of space.
Complementary to the external sculpted lines, a central curved staircase connects the two levels, while the double-height void allows for an abundance of natural light.
Inverted-arch windows upstairs create a scalloped framework to capture the Anzac Bridge and city skyline views while providing privacy for the upper-level bedrooms and bathrooms.
In the main bedroom, there is a shower en-suite with a skylight and built-ins, and the three remaining bedrooms share a full, family-friendly bathroom with a freestanding tub.
Additional features of the Glebe property include off-street parking, underfloor heating, Sonos sound system, double glazing, ceiling fans, and air conditioning.
Sitting less than 300m from the light rail and Glebe Rowing Club, the award-winning home is close to waterfront parklands, the eateries of Glebe Point Rd, as well as the University of Sydney and Broadway within easy reach.
Glebe House at 38 Ferry Rd, Glebe is listed with Harriet France of Sotheby’s International Realty, and will be auctioned on on June 3 with a price guide of $5.5m
For Central Element, the start of work at Pearl represents another step in the company’s growing eastern suburbs pipeline.
All three vehicles will form part of a broader charitable initiative benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the American Red Cross and Starlight Children’s Foundation
Completed in 2025 by Wolveridge Architects and S. Smith Builders, this extraordinary 51-acre Mornington Peninsula estate combines award-recognised architecture, genuine farming infrastructure and remarkable self-sufficiency.
4 min
A long, winding driveway beneath mature gums provides the first indication that The Farm is not a conventional Mornington Peninsula country property.
Rather than immediately revealing the residence, the approach follows the contours of the landscape, moving through established woodland before the house emerges in a secluded clearing at 515 Tucks Road, Shoreham.
Completed in 2025, the five-bedroom estate has now been listed through Buxton’s James Redfern and Holly Longmuir with expressions of interest and an indicative price range of $18 million to $19.8 million.
At the upper end of that guide, the property could establish a new residential record for Shoreham. The existing benchmark has been reported at $16.5 million.
Set across approximately 20.64 hectares—or about 51 acres—The Farm is a contemporary interpretation of the Australian rural homestead, designed by Wolveridge Architects and constructed by award-winning Mornington Peninsula builder S. Smith Builders.
The property’s vendors, builders Vicki and Steve Smith, reportedly acquired the land through Smith Investments Australia for $4.2 million in 2019. They moved into the completed home in April 2025 and are now selling as they prepare to relocate to Portsea.
A farmhouse reduced to two buildings
Rather than allowing the estate to develop as a scattered collection of rural structures, Wolveridge Architects consolidated its principal functions into two carefully positioned buildings: the main residence and a substantial farm shed.
The structures face a broad central forecourt and sit within a larger composition of native woodland, productive pasture and views towards Western Port Bay.
It is an approach informed by the way Australian farms traditionally evolve, but made more deliberate. Instead of accumulated sheds and outbuildings, the property presents as a resolved architectural precinct.
The principal residence spans approximately 638 square metres. Its defining feature is an inverted radial roofline supported by a visible grid of ironbark posts and beams.
The roof rises towards the tree canopy and open sky, lending an unexpected lightness to a house of considerable scale. Blackbutt cladding, extensive glazing and timber detailing further soften the relationship between the building and its surroundings.
Wolveridge Architects describes the property’s location as Bunurong country and credits Jerry Wolveridge, Laura Tindall and Jessica Corbett as members of the project team.
The Farm was shortlisted in the New House Over 200 Square Metres category of the 2026 Houses Awards and in the Living Space category of the 2026 INDE Awards. Its published architectural photography is by Jack Carlin.
Designed around the landscape
Throughout the house, long internal sightlines and carefully framed openings maintain a connection with the surrounding gums, paddocks and distant water.
The central living, dining and kitchen space sits beneath soaring timber-lined ceilings. A monumental fireplace formed from Dromana granite anchors the room, while a second wood-burning fireplace serves a more intimate living zone.
The kitchen combines stained Tasmanian oak cabinetry with Austral Dream Dolomite and Pilbara Green Dolomite surfaces. A suite of Swiss V-Zug appliances supports its practical role, while a temperature-controlled, timber-lined wine cellar provides a dedicated space for collectors.
Belgian French oak flooring, Swiss wool carpet, Eco Outdoor stone paving, brushed-nickel fittings and extensive custom joinery continue the natural, materially rich palette.
A sheltered internal courtyard introduces northern light into the centre of the floor plan. Conceived as a protected garden within the wider landscape, it provides an outdoor space removed from the property’s more exposed rural environment.
The architecture repeatedly shifts between those two conditions: the openness of a large rural holding and the security of carefully protected interior and courtyard spaces.
A resort within a working estate
The Farm’s lifestyle credentials extend well beyond its principal living areas.
A fully tiled 14-metre swimming pool and adjoining spa sit within landscaped surrounds, creating a private resort zone connected to multiple outdoor entertaining spaces.
The grounds include indigenous planting, native woodland and productive pasture, together with approximately 591 metres of frontage to Stony Creek.
A separate 216-square-metre farm shed, fencing, cattle infrastructure, water systems and multiple access points ensure the estate has genuine rural capability. This is not merely a large house styled to resemble a farm.
Technology has been integrated throughout the property via a Control4 system governing lighting, climate, security, gates, blinds, irrigation and pool functions. The house also includes hydronic heating, zoned reverse-cycle airconditioning, motorised window furnishings, monitored security, video intercom and Starlink connectivity.
Its sustainability infrastructure is similarly substantial. More than 235,000 litres of water storage is paired with a 70-panel, 30.8kWp solar system, Tesla Powerwall battery storage and electric-vehicle charging.
The result is a house capable of delivering the comfort and automation expected of a contemporary trophy residence while maintaining a high degree of self-sufficiency.
That balance may be The Farm’s greatest achievement. Despite its scale, luxury finishes and extensive technology, the residence does not attempt to overpower its setting.
Its architecture instead directs attention outwards—to the tree canopy, the cattle in the paddocks, Western Port Bay and the changing conditions of the surrounding landscape.
For buyers seeking a private Mornington Peninsula estate with architectural credibility and room for a genuine rural life, The Farm represents one of the region’s most compelling new offerings.
The Farm at a glance
- Address: 515 Tucks Road, Shoreham, Victoria
- Property type: Acreage/semi-rural estate
- Price guide: $18 million to $19.8 million
- Sale method: Expressions of interest
- Bedrooms: Five
- Bathrooms: Five
- Parking: Five cars
- Land: Approximately 20.64 hectares or 51 acres
- Residence: Approximately 638sqm
- Farm shed: Approximately 216sqm
- Architect: Wolveridge Architects
- Builder: S. Smith Builders
- Completed: 2025
- Pool: Fully tiled 14-metre pool with adjoining spa
- Creek frontage: Approximately 591 metres to Stony Creek
- Water storage: More than 235,000 litres
- Energy: 70-panel, 30.8kWp solar system with Tesla Powerwall storage
- Selling agents: James Redfern and Holly Longmuir, Buxton Mornington Peninsula–Flinders
- Listing: View the live property campaign
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