Dalkeith Residence

Dalkeith Residence

Dalkeith, Perth, Western Australia

TL;DR

Currently awaiting completion photography, the Dalkeith Residence is a substantial three-storey family home that balances luxury amenity with rigorous architectural thinking. Developed in collaboration with Capozzi Building, following the success of the multi-award-winning Infinity Views Residence, the project demonstrates how planning, materiality and environmental performance can shape even the largest of family homes.

Organised around a series of courtyards, gardens and covered outdoor spaces, the residence uses its own form to provide shade, privacy and enclosure rather than relying on applied architectural elements. A carefully layered palette of timber, polished plaster, stone and bronze detailing creates warmth and permanence throughout, while generous garden outlooks, extensive solar generation and carefully considered passive design strategies ensure the home remains connected to climate and landscape. The result is a residence where architectural quality and luxury amenity are given equal importance.

A House Organised Into Wings

Despite its scale, the residence is carefully organised to create clarity, privacy and a strong sense of order.

The ground floor is divided into distinct zones, with guest accommodation and music spaces positioned at the front of the home, service and utility functions concentrated at its centre, and the primary kitchen, dining and living areas positioned to the rear.

A central stair and gallery space acts as a dividing element between these functions, introducing natural light while breaking down the perceived scale of the building.

Above, the first floor is separated into parents’ and children’s wings. The master suite occupies the front portion of the home, while a dedicated children’s zone with bedrooms, ensuites, robes and a games room occupies the rear.

This arrangement allows the residence to feel highly functional and liveable despite its size.

Building Through Courtyards

Landscape and outdoor living are embedded within the architecture itself.

The ground floor adopts an L-shaped arrangement while the upper floor extends into a C-shaped form above. Together these create a series of protected outdoor rooms, including a substantial covered entertaining area generated by the building form itself rather than separate shade structures.

A large internal courtyard sits at the heart of the plan, ensuring that living spaces maintain strong visual connections to landscape while providing privacy and natural light.

Importantly, every major room enjoys views to gardens, courtyards or landscape rather than neighbouring boundaries, creating a strong sense of openness despite the suburban setting.

Form, Privacy and Landscape

A defining element of the project is the relationship between the lap pool and the colonnade that runs alongside it.

Rather than simply positioning outdoor spaces against boundary fences, the architecture creates a layer of separation through a rhythm of columns and covered walkways. This arrangement establishes enclosure and privacy while introducing shadow, depth and visual interest to the outdoor environment.

The result is a series of external spaces that feel calm and protected without becoming isolated from the broader landscape.

Materiality and Permanence

The residence is defined by a restrained palette of natural materials carefully detailed throughout.

At ground level, polished plaster surfaces create the appearance of a stone plinth from which the lighter upper volume emerges. Deeply recessed openings, some approaching a metre in depth, reinforce this sense of permanence while providing substantial solar protection.

Above, timber cladding and carefully integrated timber screens soften the upper volume. These elements, combined with anodised bronze window frames, custom balustrades, handrails, door furniture and garage elements, create a warm and cohesive material language.

The resulting aesthetic draws influence from Brazilian modernism, balancing strong geometric forms with natural materials and carefully controlled shadow.

Architecture in the Details

The project is characterised by an extraordinary level of resolution.

The entry sequence is lined with timber cladding that extends deep into the home, ultimately wrapping into the kitchen and becoming integrated cabinetry. At its centre sits a remarkable stone island bench, appearing to float within the room from a single structural support.

Custom balustrades, extensive joinery, carefully resolved material transitions and bespoke detailing continue throughout the residence, reflecting an uncompromising approach to design and documentation.

Every material, junction and architectural detail was considered as part of a cohesive whole.

Designed for the Long Term

While substantial in scale, the residence also prioritises long-term functionality.

An elevator provides accessibility between all levels and supports future ageing-in-place requirements. The basement accommodates a wine store, wet room and secure parking for up to six vehicles, while all bedrooms feature dedicated ensuites and robes.

Environmental performance remains a priority throughout. Extensive roof area has been leveraged for significant solar generation, helping offset the demands of a large contemporary home while supporting more sustainable operation over time.

Luxury Through Architecture

The Dalkeith Residence demonstrates that luxury is not solely a product of size or material cost.

Through careful planning, integrated landscape design, environmental responsiveness and exceptional attention to detail, the project creates a home where architectural quality and lifestyle amenity work together rather than compete for attention.

The result is a residence that feels simultaneously grand, calm and highly resolved, proving that even at the largest residential scale, architecture remains fundamentally about the quality of space, light and experience.