I met René, our client at a party at my sister's house. I was not usually interested in discussions until he mentioned that he had just bought a house designed by Glenn Murcutt; suddenly I had a lot of interest. Glenn is a key influence in our work and I thought that this was the best opportunity to get an insight when I know that most of the houses Glenn has built are not open for inspection.

René wanted to extend the house and I was involved in the Moral Rights discussions at the National Gallery at the time so I knew that Glenn needed to be involved. We met Glenn with René and discussed the design a lot. At first we thought of a flat roof and that was the initial design. But we all knew it could be better. One day we faxed Glenn two options in a curved roof (one in concrete and one in plywood based on our competition entry for College of Fine Arts Gallery UNSW). Glenn placed a large tick on the concrete version.

René is great and we love that he let us do this magical project.

Glenn Murcutt designed the Cullen House and won an award for it around the time I was born.

Andrew Johnson of Arup helped with the concrete roof and forms that are heavy at the top and carry down to touch the ground so lightly.

The plan for the work creates a new sliver, taken from Kahn's ideas at the Kimbell - a new pavilion here is next to an old however never higher, never longer, than the original - just a sliver of built form and light in this "wharf-like" urban landscape. Sunlight from the east and west is controlled through operable devices. Cross ventilation passes through the centre breezeway between the old and new pavilions, and soft natural lighting lands in all rooms mostly reflected off a concrete or timber surface.

The silver light absorbed by the concrete delivers a surreal effect. So too does the living room wall which opens to the harbour: the ultimate and essential room of the house.