HIGH DRAMA

A sleek glass treehouse knitted to a cliff, this Melbourne home is capped with a sculptural concrete canopy and shrouded in tropical foliage.

- CARLI PHILIPS

Unlike the view from the rear, which cascades down to the river, the street view is modest. "The facade is quiet and discreet. It reads as a couple of simple timber boxes but inside you can feel the more sculptural and poetic elements of the building," says architect Ed Glenn of Powell & Glenn. A Peter D. Cole light fitting sits unobtrusively on the pole. The two garages are set on either side of the driveway. The large palm tree, which frames the view of the property, was craned in. This first floor is set back, so isn't visible from the rear facade.

Pass this house on a walk and, while beautiful, it reads discreetly and simply: a lone palm tree, an understated Peter D. Cole light fitting, two neat charcoal timber boxes flanking a driveway. Pass it from the rear, however - on a boat or a kayak perhaps - and it's high on natural drama, undulating from street level down to the banks of the Yarra River.