Highton House

Highton House sits on a large corner allotment in the Geelong suburb of Highton, designed for a family of four and oriented to capture sweeping valley views towards the granite ridges of the You Yangs. The site occupies a roundabout corner, so the home largely turns its back on the two adjacent roadways, carrying only highlight glazing for cross-flow ventilation on those facades. Cut into the side of the allotment, it presents a private, low-slung face to the street.

Inside, the experience shifts dramatically. Over-height ceilings run throughout, an internal scale set deliberately at odds with the restrained southern street elevation. Floor-to-ceiling glazing to the north draws in winter sun and pulls the courtyard and pool areas into the living spaces, holding a constant distant focus on the You Yangs beyond.

The plan is zoned into three distinct areas: a children's wing with its own small rumpus and bathroom, the main living, dining and kitchen zone, and a parents' bedroom and retreat. The single-level home covers 267 square metres on a 1,185 square metre site and was completed in 2017.

Architect: Lachlan Shepherd Architects (project architects Lachlan Shepherd and Jimmy Donaldson). Builder: Torquay Homes. Photography: Ben Hosking.