Raised on high

A contemporary, raised-on high house is accompanied by a grounded studio/guest house, the two linked over a tricky site – access and fire emergency egress are addressed by their strategic placement while shared materiality gives the project cohesion

The home is organised around a north-running linear

The rainscreen façade system in anodised bronze aluminium

The main home boasts spectacular cantilevers.

The landscape, pool included, follows the logic of

Thanks to shared materiality, the studio/guest house is

The cantilevered upper level naturally provides shade and

An infinity edge pool connects the home to

The expansive upstairs open-plan living zone offers fabulous

The open living level integrates living, dining, kitchen,

Staircase in the main home with the studio

Designed by SPF:a

From the architects:

Project description

This home is organised around a north-running linear spine that connects the ends of two hillside cul-de-sac streets, establishing the governing framework for both the site and architectural plan.

Anchored along this axis, the two-storey main residence and the single-level studio/guest house are deliberately offset to provide intuitive access from either end of the property while enhancing life-safety circulation throughout the steep terrain.

Studio guest house contrasts main house

The studio/guest house presents as a grounded, rectilinear form, in contrast to the main house, which appears to float lightly above the landscape.

The main home's upper volume is lifted on a series of columns and shear walls that define a singular, open living level – integrating the living, dining, kitchen, and family spaces into one continuous environment.

Generous terraces

Generous exterior terraces wrap each programmatic element, capitalising on 360-degree vistas and promoting seamless indoor-outdoor living.

Materiality reinforces the project’s cohesive identity: both structures are wrapped in anodised bronze aluminium slats, with smooth black aluminium panels framing and articulating key apertures.

The landscape, pool included, follows the logic of the site diagram, interweaving architecture and terrain into one holistic, experiential composition.

Challenges

Fire fighting access addressed

The project’s most significant challenge was addressing stringent fire-fighting access requirements on a constrained hillside site.

Establishing a north-running spine that links two cul-de-sac streets proved to be the defining solution, enabling direct through-access for emergency vehicles and eliminating the need for an on-site turnaround – an option that was both technically impractical and financially prohibitive.

The studio/ guest house. - Raised on high

Positioning the main house and the studio/guest house along this spine further strengthened circulation, providing multiple access and potential evacuation paths.

While the guest house sits firmly on grade, the main residence elevates its solid upper mass above a transparent lower level, creating deep perimeter shade that significantly reduces heat gain and improves overall energy performance.

SPF:a

Additional environmental efficiency is achieved through the rainscreen façade system – anodised bronze aluminum slats with black aluminium panel accents – which enhances both waterproofing and thermal behaviour.