Designed by Silvester Fuller in collaboration with Jamie Durie, Belah House, located in Avalon, New South Wales, is a prime example of residential design that fuses luxury, sustainability and innovation. Belah House extends gratitude to the landscape and demonstrates the power of innovative green technologies and Neolith’s eco-friendly services to create a home that feels inextricable from nature.

Renowned Australian horticulturalist and landscape designer Jamie Durie attributes the creation of Belah House to his lifelong passion for environmental sustainability. For Durie, Belah – the Wiradjuri word for ‘sun’ – represents symbiosis between the home and the natural landscape. 

“We wanted to create a home that feels connected to the land, just as the river carves its own path through the environment,” he tells Australian Design Review. 

“Every decision in this build was made with sustainability, rejuvenation and longevity in mind.”

Belah House incorporates innovative green technologies, including a geothermal heating, cooling and renewable energy system predicted to achieve grid independence and deliver over 80 percent savings on energy bills, a chemical- and chlorine-free pool system and a circadian rhythm lighting program designed to increase sleep quality. 

Additionally, Belah House’s floor and window coverings are made from recycled ocean plastics and blinds that can decrease energy costs by up to 80 percent, as well as an Australian concrete innovation that slashes carbon emissions by 35 percent to 65 percent.

However, the design and build of Belah House were not immune to challenges. The site is situated on a 37-degree slope within an environmental zone populated with protected spotted gum trees. To overcome these obstacles, the team approached material and design choices via Durie’s ‘green filter build’ philosophy to unlock innovation by collaborating with nature.

“We worked with the land, not against it,” Durie says. “Every tree, every contour of the site, informed our design decisions.”

He recognised this three-year project as the most “ambitious” of his career, as he sought to subvert traditional understandings of a luxury home. 

“We set out to prove that you can build a luxury home, without compromise, that is also kind to the planet,” he says.

Neolith helps balance sustainability and luxury

Neolith’s surfaces feature throughout interior applications in Belah House and complement refined aesthetics with practical durability. In the kitchen, the distinctive Calacatta C01 adorns the main countertops, the cafe nook and the butler’s pantry. Cohesion is achieved by such surfaces extending from the countertop to the backsplash. Convenience and efficiency are also met with the inclusion of a ZIP tap, offering instant hot, cold and sparkling water.

Neolith’s Black Obsession enriches the countertops and waterfall edging in the bar area. The surfaces’ lurid and stark tones juxtapose against the surrounding natural textures and further achieve harmony between sustainability and luxury. 

Tranquillity and elegance are delivered in the bathrooms with the judicious combination of Neolith’s Colorado Dunes, Calacatta Luxe and Calacatta along the sink countertops and cladded cabinetry. The fusion of soft veining, warm undertones and smooth finishes highlights the way natural light filters into the space and reinforces Belah House’s connection to the natural landscape. 

Belah House acts as a pillar of guidance 

Durie says Neolith was an ideal partner for Belah House, as the company ethos is aligned with the build’s sustainability goals. 

“Neolith was the perfect choice for us,” he says. “Not only is it incredibly durable and beautiful, but it’s also made with sustainability in mind. That’s exactly what this house stands for.”

Durie envisages the accomplishments of Belah House inspiring people to approach sustainability in home design with creativity and enthusiasm. 

“This project is more than a home, it’s a legacy,” he says. “If we can inspire one person to rethink sustainability, then we have done our job.”

Belah House presents an exciting vision for the future of sustainable luxury in design, showcasing how materials like Neolith’s surfaces enable nature and architecture to converge.

Photography supplied.