On the bush block where he once had a childhood dugout fort, Khab Architects’ client wanted a house for his family.
Just like its owner, Hillside House has a strong relationship to the site it occupies.
At one end, the house is dug in like the fort but from this grounding it springboards out from the hillside – tip toeing between Sheoaks and native grasses.
Passage and views from the house change from one end to the other – starting amongst the tree trunks to a nest amongst the crowns before rising above the canopy to reveal a wide horizon, a broad valley, golden sunsets, and a treasure chest of sparkling city lights that carpet the Adelaide plains in South Australia below.
The decision to project off the hillside is not just about the view, it is also about creating a broad northern façade that can harvest light and northern sun, to wall off the central deck from cold southerlies, and to minimise heavy excavation and clearing of the native bush.
This big engineering decision had to be carefully balanced with an efficient and compact floor plan.
This design sings the virtues of quality over quantity.
The simple roof form suggests a simple floor plan but underneath is an animated layout.
The setout of internal spaces is like an hourglass with bedrooms and one end and living spaces at the other.
At the centre there is an aperture, a joint, the junction where the entry bridge leads, the front door arrives, and the deck scoops into the house to form an outdoor room.
Suspended above the bush with an ever changing view, the Hillside House has plenty of drama.
Project Details
Completion date – 2017
Building levels – 2
Project Team
Architecture
Khab Architects
Khab Architects is an Adelaide based architecture practice. They are Kirsty Hewitt and Adam Brown, who together run the practice and work on a range of type and scale of projects, from residential to commercial and institutional.
They employ contract staff as required, and operate out of a dynamic studio environment shared with other architects that they collaborate with when relevant for projects.
Their architecture values client individuality, environmental responsibility, material qualities, and spatial beauty, placing high value on developing a strong working relationships on every project between client, architect, and builder.
Construction
Pritchard Projects Pty Ltd
Photography
Aaron Citti
Aaron Citti is an award winning commercial photographer based in Adelaide, Australia. He is an Associate of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) and specialises in professional commercial, architecture, and interior photography.
His work includes commercial and architecture projects in Australia and overseas, with many of his works published nationally and internationally in London, New York, Indonesia, Fiji, and New Zealand.
Photo Gallery
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Design © 2020 Khab Architects. All Rights Reserved. | Images © 2020 Aaron Citti. All Rights Reserved.
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