{"id":886764,"date":"2026-09-10T09:54:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T09:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/886764\/"},"modified":"2026-09-10T09:54:25","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T09:54:25","slug":"an-architects-home-in-the-hills-premium-property","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/886764\/","title":{"rendered":"An architect’s home in the Hills – Premium Property"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Ben Clements stumbled upon a vacant block nestled in bushland at Crafers West, inspiration struck.<\/p>\n

The architect and director of Clements Architecture was on the way to a client\u2019s home, when he missed the turn and pulled into the empty block on Emmett Road.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was like love at first sight,\u201d Ben says. \u201cIt just captured me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben says the block had already been cleared in an attempt to build, but nothing had taken shape.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI thought: \u2018right, if no one else can do it, I can\u2019,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was sitting in the car after walking on site and the design was happening in my mind right then and there.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was five years ago. While the uneven, hillside site proved challenging, Ben stuck to his original vision.<\/p>\n

When he and his wife Lucia and three children moved in mid-last year, it was exactly how Ben had first imagined it.<\/p>\n

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The striking design of the house may look dramatic from the street, but Ben says it is sympathetically nestled into the hillside.<\/p>\n

The home was designed to fit into the landscape, with every aspect built with resilience and sustainability in mind.<\/p>\n

Above all else, the design champions the sweeping views.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can see from Cape Jervis all the way around to Outer Harbor, down past Port Adelaide, and everything in between and across the Gulf St Vincent,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cPreviously, I didn\u2019t even know this view existed.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ben and the Clements Architecture team brought his vision to life with the help of construction company Kinkade Group.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter building your own home, you know what it took to get there; you know every nut and bolt and every process of the build,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just have this immense pride in what we were able to achieve.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very different feeling to live in something that you\u2019ve created, and there are constant moments that reinforce you got things right.<\/p>\n

\u201cI often say this house is a perfect house; there is nothing I would change.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Nestled into the hillside, the home sits among the treetops with views of the lush canopy from every room.<\/p>\n

The monochrome interiors allow the views to be the true feature of the home.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe vision was to absorb the views and be a part of the views \u2013 not just a looking glass, but actually be in the view,\u201d Ben says.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery design decision internally was made to lift the eyes to that view.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo create that level of simplicity was extremely difficult without it looking boring.\u201d<\/p>\n

An expansive deck wraps around the home and cantilevers over the rolling hillside.<\/p>\n

Sustainability and fire resilience are also at the forefront of the design.<\/p>\n

The home is completely solar-powered and off-grid. Durable materials of concrete and steel enhance the home\u2019s longevity, contributing to Ben\u2019s sustainable vision.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to design a net zero, energy-efficient house, straight off the bat \u2013 that was a non-negotiable,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted something safe, I wanted something beautiful, I wanted to design a house that could express its function, which was for views, safety, and sustainability.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The low profile of the roof is designed to minimise bushfire risk.<\/p>\n

Non-combustible materials such as steel and concrete, and the surrounding landscaping\u2019s fire-resistant plants, all contribute to the home\u2019s Flame Zone level of bushfire protection.<\/p>\n

After a long journey that started in 2021, Ben says he has appreciated the home every time he makes his way up the driveway.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn New Year\u2019s Eve, we were watching the fireworks go off all along the coastline, and at Adelaide Oval \u2026 and it just made it all worthwhile; it was magic,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kids were out on the balcony with us and we had a little champagne on the cantilever outdoor living area, and we just took a big breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were both so busy, but at that moment we we\u2019re just able to enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ben is now ready to take on his next challenge, but he says this home will always hold special memories.<\/p>\n

\u201cNext, I want to bring an old house back to life and give it all of this contemporary efficiency,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope to hear how this house grows over the years \u2026 it is something special.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sale of 39 Emmett Road, Crafers Road, is being handled by Sarah Sheppard of Harcourts Sheppard<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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