An architect’s home in the Hills
The director of a boutique architecture firm is selling his home with sweeping views in Crafers West.
When Ben Clements stumbled upon a vacant block nestled in bushland at Crafers West, inspiration struck.
The architect and director of Clements Architecture was on the way to a client’s home, when he missed the turn and pulled into the empty block on Emmett Road.
“It was like love at first sight,” Ben says. “It just captured me.”
Ben says the block had already been cleared in an attempt to build, but nothing had taken shape.
“I thought: ‘right, if no one else can do it, I can’,” he says.
“I was sitting in the car after walking on site and the design was happening in my mind right then and there.”
That was five years ago. While the uneven, hillside site proved challenging, Ben stuck to his original vision.
When he and his wife Lucia and three children moved in mid-last year, it was exactly how Ben had first imagined it.
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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.
The home was designed to fit into the landscape, with every aspect built with resilience and sustainability in mind.
Above all else, the design champions the sweeping views.
“You 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,” he says.
“Previously, I didn’t even know this view existed.”
Ben and the Clements Architecture team brought his vision to life with the help of construction company Kinkade Group.
“After building your own home, you know what it took to get there; you know every nut and bolt and every process of the build,” he says.
“We just have this immense pride in what we were able to achieve.
“It’s a very different feeling to live in something that you’ve created, and there are constant moments that reinforce you got things right.
“I often say this house is a perfect house; there is nothing I would change.”
Nestled into the hillside, the home sits among the treetops with views of the lush canopy from every room.
The monochrome interiors allow the views to be the true feature of the home.
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“The vision was to absorb the views and be a part of the views – not just a looking glass, but actually be in the view,” Ben says.
“Every design decision internally was made to lift the eyes to that view.
“To create that level of simplicity was extremely difficult without it looking boring.”
An expansive deck wraps around the home and cantilevers over the rolling hillside.
Sustainability and fire resilience are also at the forefront of the design.
The home is completely solar-powered and off-grid. Durable materials of concrete and steel enhance the home’s longevity, contributing to Ben’s sustainable vision.
“I wanted to design a net zero, energy-efficient house, straight off the bat – that was a non-negotiable,” he says.
“I 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.”
The low profile of the roof is designed to minimise bushfire risk.
Non-combustible materials such as steel and concrete, and the surrounding landscaping’s fire-resistant plants, all contribute to the home’s Flame Zone level of bushfire protection.
After a long journey that started in 2021, Ben says he has appreciated the home every time he makes his way up the driveway.
“On New Year’s Eve, we were watching the fireworks go off all along the coastline, and at Adelaide Oval … and it just made it all worthwhile; it was magic,” he says.
“The 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.
“We were both so busy, but at that moment we we’re just able to enjoy it.”
Ben is now ready to take on his next challenge, but he says this home will always hold special memories.
“Next, I want to bring an old house back to life and give it all of this contemporary efficiency,” he says.
“I hope to hear how this house grows over the years … it is something special.”
The sale of 39 Emmett Road, Crafers Road, is being handled by Sarah Sheppard of Harcourts Sheppard.
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