A Home Amongst the Gumtrees – Red Hill House by InForm

Set on a sloping site in picturesque Red Hill and surrounded by gum trees, InForm’s latest project, a collaboration with Pleysier Perkins, has been designed in direct response to its surroundings.

When the young family of five approached InForm with their brief, key to all considerations was working with the natural topography. Alongside project architects Pleysier Perkins, the duo set out to achieve this by dividing the floorplan into a series of stepped floor plates, set around a central courtyard. It allows for a delineation of the house, tiering zones according to their function, all the while offering unique views of the surrounding bush.

When the young family of five approached InForm with their brief, key to all considerations was working with the natural topography.

So as to assist in the reduction of energy consumption, passive design principles are adhered to throughout. The location of windows, skylights and the aforementioned courtyard negate the need for artificial lighting during the day, even in winter. It also allows for light to permeate deep into the living spaces, emphasising the sense of openness afforded by the locale. On cold days, an efficient wood burning fireplace combines with ceiling fans to evenly distribute heat throughout and reduce the need for additional electric heating. Energy is provided via the series of solar panels fixed to the roof.

Locally sourced rough sawn timber forms the exterior cladding, which combines seamlessly with reclaimed timber beams that form the pergola, to blend into the native environment. Bagged cement walls outside and in, coupled with a soft grey and timber interior palette, add a sense of calm to this unique family home. According to home-owner Jane Fenn, it is this combination of materiality that is most rewarding. “I love the way that light streams into the house at different times of the day…my other favourite part is the incredible attention to detail throughout the whole house, from the considered room orientation and window placement to the craftsmanship of the fixtures and fittings.”

Where the property truly succeeds, however, is in how it utterly complements its surroundings. The neighbouring bushland provides picturesque views through each and every well-placed window, where deep windowsills encourage contemplation and appreciation of the natural environment on offer, whilst the absence of a fence around the house provides an additional sense of scale to the property, blurring the lines between backyard and bushland. Demonstrative of the inherent detailing and professional approach to every InForm home, the result sees Red Hill house as a resolved architectural family home befitting of its enviable location.

InForm’s latest project, a collaboration with Pleysier Perkins, has been designed in direct response to its surroundings.

Demonstrative of the inherent detailing and professional approach to every InForm home, the result sees Red Hill house as a resolved architectural family home befitting of its enviable location.