The more dramatic the landscape, the greater the opportunity for architecture to respond. Here, the home extends confidently into the treetops, embracing uninterrupted views across the Botanic Gardens while remaining grounded in the hillside from which it emerges.
Rob Mills
Hillside Residence occupies a remarkable sloping site overlooking one of Australia's most beautiful regional Botanic Gardens. Rather than resisting the natural topography, the architecture embraces it, allowing the home to emerge naturally from the landscape before extending confidently towards the surrounding canopy. The sculptural form responds directly to the site, balancing openness with environmental performance. The generous cantilevered roof and terrace provide shade throughout the warmer months, reducing solar heat gain while creating comfortable outdoor spaces that can be enjoyed throughout the year.
Thoughtful planning is ultimately about creating a home that continues to support the way people live as life evolves. Simplicity, accessibility and connection were fundamental to every decision we made.
– Rob Mills
The surrounding gardens informed every aspect of the interior palette. Warm timber ceilings, natural materials and carefully layered textures create spaces that feel calm, welcoming and intimately connected to the landscape. Australian and Italian furniture has been thoughtfully curated alongside an exceptional collection of Australian and First Nations artworks. Together, they create interiors of quiet sophistication, where craftsmanship, comfort and art exist in harmony.
A study should be a place where ideas have room to develop. Positioned at the heart of the residence, this warm, natural room looks across the living spaces to the treetops beyond, providing privacy without feeling removed from the life of the home. Neither masculine nor feminine in character, it reflects the achievements of its owner while looking forward to what might come next. Quiet, personal and inspiring, it is a place designed equally for concentration, reflection and creativity.
The material palette was selected not only for its beauty, but for its authenticity and longevity. American oak, natural timber, quartzite, onyx and undyed yak wool introduce warmth, texture and permanence, creating interiors that become richer and more characterful with time.
Conceived primarily across a single level, the residence supports effortless movement throughout daily life while providing flexibility for years to come. Private spaces, including the study and master suite, are carefully separated to create moments of focus, retreat and quiet reflection, all while maintaining a visual connection with the gardens beyond.
Conceived primarily across a single level, the residence supports effortless movement throughout daily life while providing flexibility for years to come. Private spaces, including the study and master suite, are carefully separated to create moments of focus, retreat and quiet reflection, all while maintaining a visual connection with the gardens beyond.
Healthy Living informed every aspect of the residence, from its orientation and environmental performance through to the careful selection of natural materials and generous connection with landscape. Together, these decisions create a home that supports comfort, wellbeing and a healthier way of living every day.
This project reflects relationships built on trust over many years. After designing a residence for one generation of the family, RMA was subsequently commissioned by the parents to lead the architecture, interiors and furniture curation of their own home. As experienced builders themselves, the family recognised the value of thoughtful collaboration, comprehensive documentation and a process that consistently delivered certainty without compromising design excellence.
Creating a home is an extraordinary journey, and every decision matters. RMA’s turnkey service brings architecture, interiors, landscape, furniture and objects together as one idea. It is a process built on trust, close collaboration and a shared ambition for what the home can become. From the first sketch to the moment our clients move in, we remain deeply involved, ensuring the residence feels complete, personal and unmistakably theirs.
