Streets Ahead Built for a former arts minister and an artist, this Adelaide home is earth-smart and elegant.
Here’s a one-time politician who walks the talk... Former environment and arts minister John Hill and his wife have built an eco-friendly, future-proof home in Adelaide that’s brimming with creative energy.
John Hill and Andrea Dale walk the talk. John’s career in politics saw him serve as state government minister for several portfolios – including environment and conservation, arts and health – under two South Australian Labor premiers. Andrea, with a background in visual arts, is also a talented artist. As such, the couple were uniquely qualified to draw up a brief for their dream home in Adelaide.
Completed in 2014, it’s a considered, cultured home that manages to be earth-smart without sacrificing aesthetics. Welllocated on a heritage-zoned street, the house presents as a contemporary version of its 19th-century neighbours. Inside, however, there’s a distinct leaning towards both Scandi and Japanese aesthetics. “We served sushi and Danish pastries at our thank-you party for the project team,” says John, laughing.
On a more serious note, he says that his former ministerial portfolios helped to educate him about what good housing ought to be like. “The temperature inside a well- designed ‘green’ house is always comfortable, and the water and power bills are low,” he says. “Ethically and also practically, incorporating strong environmental features was important for us both.”
Theirvision,developedwitharchitectsSteveGrieveandDimitty Andersen of Grieve Gillett Andersen, was for a rectangular space intersected by timber ‘boxes’. Box one, opposite the entrance, wraps around the guest bathroom, extending into the book-lined study and guestroom. A second box, at the rear and opposite the hallway to the main bedroom and studio, envelops the pantry, dressing room, bathroom and laundry. American oak cladding, laid horizontally, imparts a warm, organic feel to the boxes.
Constructed from Hebel blocks with timber framing and brick veneer, the house boasts a rollcall of eco credentials: highperformance insulation, windows and doors in laminated insulated glass, eight solar panels for hot water and a 25,000-litre underground water tank, plus the thermal benefits of a polished concrete floor boosted by underfloor heating in the
winter. “Year-round, the internal temperature of the house sits at a very comfortable 20 degrees,” says Andrea.
The design-focused interiors feature a fascinating collection of artworks, sculptures and ceramics, some created by Andrea, others made by friends or serendipitously discovered during John’s time as an arts minister. Special pieces are displayed in a foyer niche, on a wall in John’s study and also in the guest bedroom. In the open-plan living and dining zones, artworks are hung salon-style. More works line the hallway that leads to the main bedroom and are clustered in Andrea’s studio.
Complementing the meticulously curated artworks are some exceptional pieces of furniture and lighting by wellknown European designers. These are blended with pieces by contemporary local designers and items with a mid-century modern twist, many of which were sourced online.
In the past couple of years, John and Andrea have become grandparents to Harrison and Beth, 18 months and two years old respectively. So they wanted a house that would not only suit them and their energetic family now, but also allow them to age there with confidence. Their future-proofing inclusions are subtle, including wide, glazed sliding doors that contribute a feeling of space and light, and bathrooms with wide shower entrances and steps that are low and manageable.
The home’s ambience of ordered calm extends outdoors with a Japanese-style connection to the garden. Along the home’s northern side, a sheltered verandah overlooks six raised vegetable beds, with fruit trees espaliered along the fence for screening.
Now that he’s semi-retired, John finally has time to share Andrea’senthusiasmforgardening.“Weareasorganicaspossible here,” he says, “which means we sometimes have to share our vegies with a variety of little critters!” Grieve Gillett Andersen, Adelaide, South Australia; (08) 8232 3626 or ggand.com.au. Cavallaro Building
Services; (08) 8362 4449 or cavallaro.com.au.