Luxury Living on a 10m Frontage

Set on a narrow North Perth site with just a 10m frontage, Baby Burt Residence by Hillam Architects could have easily felt tight and limited. Instead, it opens up into a home that feels surprisingly spacious, filled with light and closely connected to the outdoors.

Narrow sites like this are becoming more common across Perth, but making them feel good to live in takes a clear plan and a strong understanding of how space works. Hillam has approached it with the confidence that comes from an award-winning team, using the constraints of the block to shape a home that feels spacious and connected to the outdoors despite it’s narrow width.

From the street, the contemporary façade is striking. A curved batten screen wraps around the upper level, softening the edges and adding a layer of privacy, but the design is not just about how it looks. The upper level extends forward, creating a sense of arrival that feels both protected and private, altering how you experience coming home, giving the entry a sense of enclosure before the house opens up beyond it.

The layout is simple, and that’s exactly why it works. Living, dining and entertaining unfold across the ground floor, flowing directly out to the garden, while the upper level becomes a place to switch off. There’s also a level of flexibility built in, with a ground floor study and ensuite that can easily shift into an extra bedroom if needed down the track.

Inside, the material palette does much of the work. Exposed concrete walls and ceilings, polished concrete floors and sections of exposed brick bring together texture and weight, balanced by natural light introduced through voids and skylights.

Upstairs, the main bedroom looks out over the garden through full-height glazing, with screening providing privacy without interrupting the view. There are also two additional bedrooms and a second living area.

The pool sits neatly within the garden, but what’s more interesting is how it’s handled. Rather than interrupting the space with fencing, level changes have been used to achieve safety requirements while keeping everything visually open. It’s a simple idea, but one that makes the entire outdoor area feel more cohesive.

A photovoltaic system generates more energy than the home consumes, feeding excess back to the grid.

Images: Dion Robeson

Baby Burt Residence shows what can happen when a narrow site with what could be seen as limited 10m frontage is handled properly. Instead of fighting the constraints, Hillam Architects has skillfully used them to shape a home that feels open, adaptable and genuinely enjoyable to live in.

A Unit 1/15 Roydhouse Street, SUBIACO WA 6008
P 0863 801 877
E info@hillam.com.au
W hillam.com.au