Hillside Home

New Build, Where Tranquility Meets Sustainability

Situated on the side of a grassy hill, on the edges of Melbourne, this home looks over a wooded valley with a stream winding through the trees.

Inspired by country-style homes and a beacon to guide travellers home, this family home is truly a forever home in the making.

“There was so much time that marvelous summer. Day after day, mist rose from the meadow as the sky lightened and hedges, barns and woods took shape until, at last, the long curving back of the hills lifted away from the Plain. It was a sort of stage-magic.” ― J.L. Carr, A Month in the Country

A young professional couple with a young daughter fell in love with this property and held on to it for years in an old, dark, fibro house before starting this journey.
An engineer and a GP, the clients passion to create their family’s forever home drove this project.
Inspired by their environment they requested a country-style home. Their proximity to the bushland they love required additional technical expertise to comply with BAL40 bushfire resistant construction.
Situated in the outer Melbourne suburb of Beaconsfield, we wanted to take inspiration from both an indigenous word associated with the area Balla meaning “rest”, and Beaconsfield as "open land near a beacon or signal fire”. These powerful concepts leant themselves beautifully to the idea of home and hearth.
The shape of the home and the use of glazing echoes the idea of a lantern and an indoor and outdoor fireplace is available for warmth and ambiance.
The fireplaces satisfy a primal urge but it is our hope that they won’t need to use them very often. These clients hope to one day cease relying on the grid for power and water. It was important to ensure the roof was oriented for solar panels, plenty of water collection was available, and that the thermal envelope performs well to reduce electricity consumption.
The construction of the design is non-combustible to comply with the BAL 29-40 bushfire requirements. The warm tones of the metal cladding and the integration of natural stone help keep this home feeling warm and inviting.
External materials and textures are brought into the interior in the form of stonework, timber detailing, and mint-green tiles.
4 Bedrooms
Greenfield Site (Existing home must be demolished after construction)
Rural Conservation Zone & Designated Bushfire Prone Area
Bushfire Attack Level of 29-40
Builder - Vigor Homes
Bunurong Land