Poll House by Gary Marinko

Designed by architect Gary Marinko, Poll House stands as one of Western Australia’s most compelling contemporary residences — a work realised with rare precision and resolve. Rigorous in intent and extraordinary in execution, it represents a level of design ambition seldom seen, and even more rarely offered. Yet for all its architectural conviction, it remains a home of remarkable liveability — generous in scale, intuitive in flow and deeply considered in the way it supports everyday life.

SPOTLIGHT

/ Designed by award-winning architect, by Gary Marinko
/ Internationally published and recognised residence: exhibited in the 2006 Venice Architecture Biennale and featured in the Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary World Architecture
/ Dual-dwelling configuration: main residence with three ensuite bedrooms and separate powder room, plus a fully self-contained studio with private courtyard and independent access
/ Expansive 1,167 sqm block
/ Entirely single-level living with seamless access from rear laneway to front entry
/ Jon Tarry solid Jarrah sculpture positioned at the front entrance, titled “One on One” – Jarrah 2007
/ Expansive open-plan dining and living zones designed for both intimate gatherings and larger occasions
/ Three north-facing courtyards maximising natural light, framed by gardens
/ Contemporary kitchen with substantial integrated storage
/ Separate home office with built-in cabinetry and dedicated workstation
/ Secondary living/media retreat
/ Main suite with floor-to-ceiling robes, full-length mirrors, ensuite with bath
/ Large louvered skylights and fibre optic lighting within flooring
/ Polished concrete floors
/ Spectacular curved ceilings with integrated skylights
/ Blue-glazed masonry and translucent interior panels with full illumination
/ Custom Zebrano timber doors and refined joinery detailing throughout
/ Solar-heated swimming pool and separate steam room
/ 42 solar panels delivering approximately 8kW
/ EV charging
/ Solar-passive design with substantial thermal mass, maintaining comfort across seasons
/ Recently upgraded commercial grade ducted air-conditioning
/ Independent gas hot water systems to main residences, and solar hot water system to studio with electric booster
/ Separate security systems to main residence and studio
/ Bore servicing verge and landscaped gardens
/ Triple garage with extensive storage and direct rear laneway access (suitable for trailers)

From the street, the home appears composed and introverted, its low-set concrete form confident in its restraint. A solid Jarrah sculpture by Jon Tarry sits with quiet authority at the front entrance, signalling the home’s enduring dialogue with art. Step inside and the living experience expands — layered, generous and quietly dramatic. Beneath a vast, hovering roofline, interconnected pavilions unfold around a central courtyard that draws light deep into the home.

Designed as two integrated dwellings — the primary residence and a fully self-contained studio — the home unfolds entirely across a single level. Within the main residence, curved ceilings sweep and dip with remarkable softness, their engineering complexity concealed within an effortless form, whilst wide passages and generous proportions establish a powerful sense of scale. Movement is expansive and unhurried, with private spaces positioned apart from the living areas, yet anchored by the central courtyard.

Separation is reinforced through material expression: planes of pre-cast concrete, blue-glazed masonry, anodised aluminum, translucent fibreglass and moments of Zebrano timber are used deliberately to define and articulate space. Rather than relying solely on conventional walls, the architecture allows materiality itself to distinguish zones — solid, translucent and warm surfaces forming boundaries with quiet clarity.

Light is handled with extraordinary deliberation. Rather than relying on visible downlights, illumination is carefully concealed and directed across surfaces, washing walls and ceilings so that the architecture itself appears to glow. At night, hidden lighting transforms the interior — fibreglass elements glowing softly as walls become sculptural forms of light. The result is an atmosphere that feels immersive and unforgettable.

Orientation is fundamental to the architecture. Turned north to capture optimal solar gain, the home is organised around a sequence of courtyards that anchor the plan and mediate light throughout the interior. Living areas open toward sun-washed internal gardens, while more private spaces withdraw to the south. Pre-cast concrete panels — poured, cured and lifted into place — serve simultaneously as structure, insulation and cladding, embedding substantial thermal mass within the walls. The result is a residence that responds intuitively to the seasons: welcoming winter sun, tempering summer heat and performing as beautifully as it presents.

Beyond the primary living spaces, the rear of the residence opens to a private outdoor retreat of remarkable presence. A beautifully appointed solar-heated pool is positioned to the left of the connecting link between the main residence and the studio, complemented by a separate steam room that enhances the home’s functionality. The courtyard itself unfolds beneath a mature plane tree, its established canopy casting dappled light across expansive paved terraces and creating a natural sense of enclosure. Framed by blue-glazed masonry and considered landscaping, the setting feels both generous and secluded.

Beyond its architectural rigour, Poll House has long been celebrated as an extraordinary setting for entertaining. Its generous proportions and considered acoustics have seen it host a series of exclusive events, most notably performances by the Australian String Quartet and most recently, the Art Gallery of Western Australia. The expansive concrete wall planes — conceived with the scale and restraint of a commercial gallery — further offer remarkable hanging space, creating a professional backdrop for the serious collector. Here, architecture and art exist in deliberate dialogue.

Internationally recognised and published in more than 20 architectural journals and books, Poll House is the only Western Australian residence selected for inclusion in the Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary World Architecture — a distinction that confirms its status as a work of lasting architectural importance. Adding further to its provenance, Poll House was also featured internationally at the 2006 Venice Architecture Biennale. Yet beyond publication and prestige, the true value of the home lies in its lived experience: the calibration of light, the generosity of space, and the quiet authority with which it shapes everyday life.

This is architecture collected, not merely occupied — rare, resolute and enduring.

Positioned within one of Perth’s most tightly held river precincts, the home enjoys effortless access to the very best of Dalkeith living. Dalkeith Village is just moments away, home to boutique shopping and a curated dining scene including Isoletta and the refined Italian enoteca Vineataly. Leafy parks and riverside reserves — from Mason Gardens to Point Resolution and Otto Point — offer daily immersion in nature, while the Swan River foreshore invites morning walks and sunset rituals. Prestigious schools, tennis and golf clubs, yacht clubs and the University of Western Australia are all within easy reach, with Claremont Quarter providing broader retail and dining nearby. It is a setting that balances quiet residential prestige with genuine connection — riverside living at its most refined.

RATES 

Council $5,451 pa
Water $2,974.79 pa