Bila (Belah) House by Jamie Durie and Silvester Fuller

Crafted by renowned Australian landscape designer Jamie Durie in collaboration with Silvester Fuller, Bila (Belah) House on Sydney’s Pittwater is a sustainable home embodying a responsible approach to luxury building.

Overlooking Pittwater in Sydney’s north, Bila (Belah) House embraces its natural surrounds, oriented to catch the sunset and views of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. “The fact that the site sits in an E4 environmental zone and a protected spotted gum forest was an asset to us because we wanted the house to feel like it is really melded into the forest,” says Jamie Durie. “The site is on a 37-degree slope, and that gave us a lot of flexibility because we were able to step the house down the escarpment and maximise unobstructed views from every level.”

Rounded corners soften the architectural form, helping to blend the home into the landscape, while extensive planter boxes evoke the image of a hanging garden.

The design brief detailed a sustainable, luxurious dwelling that meanders around the existing trees and provides terrace views of the waterfront. Rounded corners soften the architectural form, helping to blend the home into the landscape, while extensive planter boxes evoke the image of a hanging garden.

“Although it’s a multi-level home, we really only wanted to live on two levels, so when you come down the first set of stairs, you arrive in the living and entertaining space,” explains Durie. This level houses the kitchen, butler’s pantry and main living and dining area as well as an adjacent lounge room. Sliding timber doors open to the pool terrace, which drops into the bulkhead of the living space. At the bottom of the site sits an ocean pool with private beach.

“It was really important that what goes over the top of that concrete – and what sits in it – was inspired by nature. Neolith helped us achieve that.”

One of the outstanding features of the living space are the stairs. “They are interesting because they form a divider, they separate the entertaining space from the living space, they’re a shelving system and they’re a support system for the floating staircase itself,” says Durie. “So they’re really a sculptural piece; if you like, the vertebrae of the house.” The sleeping level – downstairs from the communal areas – features a tranquil primary suite with a spacious ensuite, north-facing bedroom and his-and-hers wardrobes.

Throughout Bila (Belah) House, thoughtfully chosen materials elevate the interiors and connect the family to the outdoors. “When you think about the house being built out of concrete, for us it was really important that what goes over the top of that concrete – and what sits in it – was inspired by nature,” says Durie. “Neolith helped us achieve that.”

In the kitchen, the cool elegance of the white and grey Neolith Calacatta – from The New Classtone collection – takes centrestage for the kitchen’s benchtops, butler’s pantry and cafe nook. In the bold bar area, Neolith Black Obsession graces the benchtops and the waterfall edging, adding to the room’s sense of drama. Three Neolith surfaces – Colorado Dunes, Calacatta Luxe and Calacatta – bring elevated tranquillity to the bathrooms, utilised on both vanity tops and cladded cabinetry. “All of the Neolith feels like beautiful natural marble, only it’s carbon-free sintered stone, which is pretty special.”

In harmony with its stunning surrounds and imbued with peerless sustainability credentials at every turn, Bila (Belah) House is a seamless example of responsible building and a tribute to Durie’s vision. Neolith’s sintered surfaces support that vision is a deeply considered way.

Architecture by Jamie Durie and Silvester Fuller. Landscape design by Jamie Durie. Produced by The Local Production.