A Considered Realignment – Pinjarra Hills House by Sullivan Skinner

A reconfiguration of the existing forms on site, Pinjarra Hills House opens to the landscape to engage with the natural elements while overlaying a sense of privacy and seclusion. Sullivan Skinner utilises the expanse of the site to create an assembly that directly responds to context.

Located within the same named suburb and originally built in the 1970s, Pinjarra Hills House needed both a contemporary uplifting and a reorientation to better connect to its expansive site. Altering the existing structure, the overall volume is expanded with the addition of pavilion forms that elevate the sense of immersion within the landscape. Sullivan Skinner integrates the new within the existing, creating a sense of balance between the interior and exterior spaces.

Sullivan Skinner integrates the new within the existing, creating a sense of balance between the interior and exterior spaces.

The expanded form sits within a newly established landscape executed and designed by the owner as an expression of themselves. The immediate spaces between the structure and the surrounding landscape feature a series of outdoor moments to assist with the transition between inside and out. The interior is shaped as an open and connected series of spaces, with integrated storage and concealed amenity forming part of the architecture – the functional aspects of the home are hidden to set the stage for socialising.

The residence’s resulting open spaces become a versatile base for decoration and living, while the home’s foundation remains restrained and calm. The additional angled forms of the new volume align to bring in natural light from above, furthering the narrative of diffusion and ensuring the incorporation of passive energy. Evidenced throughout is an aspiration to engage with nature. A similar rigour felt in the original crafted brickwork then carries through into the new, with a linear approach carried across inside and out.

Altering the existing structure, the overall volume is expanded with the addition of pavilion forms that elevate the sense of immersion within the landscape.

While an absence of ornamentation defines Pinjarra Hills House, there is an overwhelming endurance felt throughout. Sullivan Skinner has conjured a contemporary and restrained home with a modern aesthetic that extends the original narrative of the home.