For us, this home represents the culmination of our working life, the reward for sacrifices made and costs borne. Therefore, it was imperative that everything be right the first time, there could be no second shots. This site presented specific challenges such as the road being above the block, is buttressed by granite boulders, offering only limited and awkward site access via a steep and largely unusable pee-gravel driveway, and, finally rated BAL40 due to the surrounding bush and slope. These challenges had to be overcome to lock onto the stunning views to the west, and the warm winter sun to the north. Our first challenge was to identify just who could demonstrate an ability to overcome the difficulties and deliver on our dream home. We stumbled at the first hurdle - repeatedly. Our ideas and dreams were shelved for want of expertise. That was until returning along the Brookton Highway and spotting the Big V residence on the ridge as it was nearing completion. At last, we had found our cavalry in the form of Adam and the Darklight Design team, and Troy’s Ironstone Home team. Naturally, our major concerns revolved around costs, and we’d heard of others having nightmare scenarios of cost blowouts or getting lumbered with unexpected extras. Adam took the time to understand us, our motivations, history, and what we wanted to achieve from this project. He appreciated my connection to the granites as a geologist. Adam turned a granite outcrop into a focal point, off which is arrayed our home, appearing as an extension of that outcrop. The building blends into its surroundings beautifully, near ground level on the street side and at treetop on the western side. Adam’s used strategic and cleaver window placement, offering a greater sense of privacy and the illusion of being “alone” in the area. The Darklight Design teams experience in working successfully with the Armadale City Council as well as a proven ability at overcoming challenges on blocks similar in nature to ours has proven to be very valuable. Adam has always been approachable and accommodating about issues or changes that we made, in particular for our desire to capture the warm winter sun and northern views across the valley. He managed this using complementary angles to produce the desired opening while protecting neighbour’s privacy. Altogether, this home is a piece of art, and our greatest asset. I would have no hesitation in recommending the Darklight Design team to anyone who is not interested in the cookie-cutter approach to building, who may have a site with unique or particular challenges, a BAL40 rating etc. as this team relishes the challenge and overcoming the obstacles to produce a piece of architectural artistry, the realisation of a long held dream. Graeme Craig.