Hillam Architects is an Australian based design firm focussing on residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects. Started in 1993 by principal architect David Hillam, the firm aims at delivering distinctive and high-end design to its clients. Each design is specific to its site, climate, and clientele and is hence developed with the utmost detail in mind.
The site is celebrated through an inside-outside relationship of the interior with its urban conditions. The firm with its carefully crafted design ethos is recognized among the top architecture firms in Australia and has also won The Marshall Clifton Award for Residential Architecture. Its designs have been featured on several popular print and broadcast media.
Some of the projects designed by Hillam Architects areas listed below:
1. Hillam’s New office
Hillam’s new office, located in Subiaco is based on the idea of creating a dynamic, raw, and flexible workspace. The existing site with its structure and services is kept exposed to provide the modern and industrialist edge to the office. There is transparency between all private and semi-private spaces in the office to invite collaboration and openness in the work culture. Wood, concrete, and glass dominate the material palette. The high-end and sophistication in design immediately draws the user inside the space.
2. Dalkeith Residence
Located in Dalkeith, this residence is a result of various alterations and additions to the existing property. The existing brickwork is cladded over with Victorian Cypress and Blackbutt timber cladding, bringing more sophistication to the project. Landscaping in the front consists of stone pathways and pools that guide the users to the entrance door while that at the back consists of a lavish garden along with a pool, cabana, and outbuilding. The interior spaces are just as luxurious. Each room is planned such that it receives its share of air, sunlight, and view appropriately.
Image Sources:
- Entrance to the residence, Hillam Architects, ©hillam.com.au
- Residence backyard, Hillam Architects, ©hillam.com.au
- Residence interiors, Hillam Architects, ©hillam.com.au
3. Trigg Residence
The summer house is located in a prominent corner of the Trigg suburb. The residence is perceived as a combination of different volumes of spaces on the site. The entrance to the house is right off the street of the suburb with the rear offering views of the beach and the Indian Ocean. To withstand the coastal weather conditions and avoid excess heat gain, suitable material palette, landscaping, and technology are applied to the interiors and exterior. The interiors give a very light, breezy, and modernistic look to the residence. Here, the minimal palette draws attention away from the inside and focusses it onto the view offered outside.
Image Sources:
- View of house © the street, Hillam Architects, ©hillam.com.au
- View of residence, Hillam Architects, ©hillam.com.au
- Entry hall in residence, HIllam Architects, ©hillam.com.au
4. Bicton Residence
The Bicton residence is one of the finer examples of the firm’s ideal to connect the site with the built environment. The façade is completely glazed, providing views of the finely created interior spaces. The palette consists of timber and stone which merges seamlessly with the exterior. The interior consists of a spectacular spiral staircase leading to the upper levels of the residence. Here, the rooms are planned to give maximum views of the Swan River at the rear. The lightness and freshness of the outside are reproduced inside, along with modernity and high quality.
5. Sudbury Residence
The Sudbury residence is located on City Beach. The glazed entrance is located towards the side of the building giving a partial view of the two storeys and the staircase connecting them. The façade is lined with perforated steel cladding with punctures for perforations. The upper levels consist of kitchen, dining, living area, and bedroom which look over the pool and deck. A palette of stone and timber is mainly used in the interiors to create a luxurious living space.
6. City Beach Residence III
The residence, located on City Beach exudes luxury and modernism. The façade is a simple, glazed structure with a grand entrance right in the middle of the building. There is transparency created between the street and the interior space. Along the entrance, on either side, a cabana and pool deck have been added to give an outdoor experience to the clients. The busy interior is in contrast to the simple exterior with timber being the dominant material.
7. City Beach Residence II
This City Beach residence incorporates the use of both straight and organic lines in its design. The solid mass is punctured with openings that dramatize the look of the house. The lower floors include intense landscaping with a private garden and pool area. The upper floor consists of rooms that provide spectacular views of the Indian Ocean. The colors, textures, and materials chosen for the project are a reflection of the coastal area around.
8. Orchard Terrace
Orchard Terrace, located in Subiaco is an apartment project consisting of the studio; one-, two- and three-bedroom and penthouse layouts. Its façade is characterized by stark lines and a palette of concrete, stone, wood, and landscaping. It derives its name from the design of its rooftop garden with its lounging areas and citrus trees. Each space is crafted with the firm’s modernistic approach. Functional aspects of ventilation and sunlight have also been given prime importance concerning every living quarter in the building.
9. Guildford
This three-storeyed residential building is located in Guildford, offering 28 residential units. In keeping with the context, the building is made majorly of bricks. The brickwork is beautifully punctured with distinctively shaped fenestrations. The exterior of the building is sober and minimalistic while also oozing the luxury of the inside.
10. Botanical
Botanical is an exclusive and vibrant building of Subiaco’s prime region. It is a five-storeyed building with 82 residential units. The exterior uses a material palette of corten and dark-red bricks along with landscaping at each level. The glazing allows natural light and ventilation to enter the residences, creating fresh and breezy spaces. The rooftop provides a remarkable view of the city along with the pool, gym, dining, spa and cinema facilities.
11. The Collective
The Collective is a residential building with 48 residential units located in the luxurious Rivervale area. Its dynamic form is derived from its pentagon-shaped site with projecting balconies scattered over its façade. The restrained and neutral palette of the building gives it a contemporary look while also effortlessly blending with the site. As per the client’s requirement, no two apartments are the same in size, materiality, and layout.
12. Vantage
The Vantage is a thirteen-storeyed residential tower in Rivervale. It consists of 216 residential units offering one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments along with penthouses. Bold lines in the building’s façade make it an eye-catching design of the neighborhood while also functionally providing shade to the interiors. The interiors are spacious and modern with several facilities like the pool, gym, sauna, and café. A distinctive feature of the building is the rooftop with its relaxing environment of a garden and lounge.
13. Eden Apartments
Eden Apartments occupy a primary spot in the Perry Lake Reserve. It is divided into two buildings: Eden East and Eden West, offering one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, penthouses, and townhouses.
Pools, cabana, and lake views are provided for a good outdoor experience. A natural material palette, oozing freshness is chosen to blend in with the context. The inside is just as luxurious as the outside with contemporary and high-end tones.
14. Lumiere
Lumiere is a twenty-five-storeyed residential and commercial apartment located in South Perth. The high rise offers spectacular views of the city and Swan River. The dynamic and curvy façade of the building makes it a distinctive landmark of the area. Lumiere has 91 residential and 18 commercial units designed with utter sophistication. In keeping with the firm’s ideology of providing a luxury living, the residents are also provided with cafes, lounges, pools, and fitness centers.
15. Trellis Apartments
These apartments are located in the Subiaco neighborhood. The building is two to five storeys high with different masses of the building being pushed inward/outward, creating a seemingly staggering design. To match the site’s greenery, extensive landscaping is incorporated into the façade. A central courtyard is also provided to ensure sunlight, cross-ventilation, and landscaping are evenly distributed across all 25 units. Adding to the uniqueness of the building, no two apartments have been designed similar to one another.
