Architect Chris Howe sells Vaucluse trophy home, finally

Chris Howe, from Bossley Hosier Lane, and his tax lawyer wife, Betsy-Ann, have finally sold their Vaucluse residence.

The Hopetoun Avenue offering with four bedrooms plus office house, comes with soaring ceilings.

It also came with $8 million hopes back in 2010, with the first of its eventual seven agents who have had the listing.

It was up for upcoming July 25 auction with hopes of $6.9 million.

There's plenty of glass, wood, sandstone, and travertine throughout its large open-plan interiors.

Its grounds come with pool, ponds, decks, balconies and garden. 

Covering 420 square metre, the house was built in 2008 on 787 square metre of land.

Howe suggested this was the first high-end, contemporary house in Australasia that was fully carbon neutral on energy use.

Property Observer ccolumnist Margie Blok wrote of its innovative design and cutting-edge sustainability when she viewed the house.

“It’s greener than a tree house," Blok was told. She was particularly impressed with the passive heating and cooling systems using double glazing, stack ventilation, evaporative cooling, thermal mass and external automated louvres.

The block traded at $2.95 million in September 2006.