Design Overview
Pellitt House is a substantial custom family home designed on a 1,388 m² property with a restricted building envelope and approximately 5 metres of site fall. The design incorporates a three-car garage, swimming pool and generous family living areas while addressing BAL-29 bushfire requirements and making practical use of the available land.
DA & CC Approval - Hills Shire Council
More About This Project
The Brief
Custom Family Home on a Challenging Site in Dural
Pellitt House is a custom home design of a substantial two-storey family residence on a 1,388 m² property in Dural, in Sydney's Hills District.
The owners wanted a spacious home with generous family living areas, bedroom accommodation, a gym, music room, three-car garage and an inground swimming pool.
Although the block was a good size, there were restrictions on where the house could be positioned. The land had a defined building envelope and fell approximately 5 metres from one side to the other. The property was also bushfire-prone, with BAL-29 construction requirements affecting the design.
The Design Response
Making the Most of a Restricted Building Envelope
The property had a designated building envelope of approximately 364 m², which limited where the new home could be positioned. We carefully developed the floor plan to accommodate the owners' requirements within this area, using approximately 320 m² of the available building envelope.
The design provided generous living areas, bedroom accommodation, recreational spaces and a substantial three-car garage without needing to push beyond the permitted building area.
Designing Around the Sloping Block and Driveway Levels
The site had almost 5 metres of fall overall, so establishing the correct floor and driveway levels was an important part of the design.
We positioned the main ground floor at a suitable level and lowered the garage by approximately 500 mm to accommodate the driveway requirements.
This allowed the garage to work with the natural slope while keeping the overall building height within the applicable planning controls.
We also considered the levels around the swimming pool and outdoor entertaining areas to manage the relationship between the home and surrounding land.
Addressing BAL-29 Bushfire Requirements
A specialist bushfire assessment established BAL-29 construction requirements for the exposed parts of the home.
The southern elevation was able to be assessed at BAL-19 because the building itself provided shielding from the northern bushfire exposure.
We incorporated these requirements into the design and construction documentation, including consideration of external materials, glazing and other exposed building elements.
Creating Generous Family Living and Outdoor Entertaining
Inside, we designed a substantial family home with multiple living areas, a contemporary kitchen and spaces for recreation and entertaining.
The main living areas connect with the rear outdoor entertaining spaces and swimming pool, making practical use of the available land.
The home also features a prominent entry foyer, contemporary architectural detailing and a combination of stonework and complementary external finishes.
Project Outcome
Council-Approved BAL-29 Custom Home | The Hills Shire Council
Pellitt House successfully progressed through council approval and was subsequently completed.
The finished home provides generous family accommodation, multiple living areas, a three-car garage and resort-style outdoor entertaining centred around the swimming pool.
The design addressed the restricted building envelope, sloping land, driveway levels and BAL-29 bushfire requirements while delivering the substantial family home the owners wanted.
A Long-Term Client Relationship
Pellitt House was the first of three homes we have since designed and obtained approval for with the same client.
That ongoing relationship is particularly meaningful because each new project has presented its own requirements, allowing us to develop another individually designed home rather than repeating an existing design.
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