The Studio
Hi, we are John and Bindi Hooghuis (in Dutch, High House), the creative souls behind the small but dynamic architectural studio in Sydney Australia. High House offers tailored architectural and interior design services to residential and selected commercial (interiors) clients.
The core aim of High House is to create beautiful, comfortable and functional places for living and working. The path we take to achieve this is one of careful listening to the client’s needs to gain clear understanding of their lifestyle and objectives, together with our considered analysis of the site and setting.
We apply imagination and hard work to planning and developing a strong design concept. Each project is undertaken with its environment as key, to allow integration into the specific topography and landscape. This provides a strong sense of connection to the place, personality and value of each project.
Both of us have extensive experience working on a wide range of architectural projects locally, in regional NSW and overseas. Experience in a diversity of projects has also given us each a strong appreciation of the craft of building. Our design skills extend across the board, from house and home to furniture and interior design, to landscape and site planning.
The High House studio has been deliberately kept small to allow us to be involved in all aspects of each project. Our favourite way to work is collaboratively with our valued clients and a trusted team of consultants and builders through all stages of the project, from the initial concept design through the approvals stage, detail design, to seeing it come to life on site as envisioned.
High House strives foremost to give clients real value, improving and transforming spaces and places. We love to find the most interesting creative design solutions and together we can make the daunting task of re-imagining your environment an enjoyable and rewarding one.
The core aim of High House is to create beautiful, comfortable and functional places for living and working. The path we take to achieve this is one of careful listening to the client’s needs to gain clear understanding of their lifestyle and objectives, together with our considered analysis of the site and setting.
We apply imagination and hard work to planning and developing a strong design concept. Each project is undertaken with its environment as key, to allow integration into the specific topography and landscape. This provides a strong sense of connection to the place, personality and value of each project.
Both of us have extensive experience working on a wide range of architectural projects locally, in regional NSW and overseas. Experience in a diversity of projects has also given us each a strong appreciation of the craft of building. Our design skills extend across the board, from house and home to furniture and interior design, to landscape and site planning.
The High House studio has been deliberately kept small to allow us to be involved in all aspects of each project. Our favourite way to work is collaboratively with our valued clients and a trusted team of consultants and builders through all stages of the project, from the initial concept design through the approvals stage, detail design, to seeing it come to life on site as envisioned.
High House strives foremost to give clients real value, improving and transforming spaces and places. We love to find the most interesting creative design solutions and together we can make the daunting task of re-imagining your environment an enjoyable and rewarding one.
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John Hooghuis B.Arch (hons1) UTS Registered Architect NSW ARB #13303
Hi, I’m John. I grew up on Pittwater on the Northern Beaches of Sydney and studied Architecture at UTS. After some time with larger firms working on corporate projects and then three years in a small Palm Beach studio, I realised what I love most is working on more client-driven residential projects. My time in architectural studios in London was rewarding, revealing what has become a keen interest in the detail and craftsmanship that is available for tailored residential projects. On return home, I honed my design skills on Sydney’s North Shore at Playoust Churcher Architects. As their Design Director for many years, I was responsible for the design of the single residential projects the firm took on and I learned to efficiently arrive at distinctive design concepts for each client. I moved to the team at Incidental Architecture where I was closely involved in the development of a range of interesting new houses, several of which have received award commendations for residential architecture. Now I get a thrill from offering my skills to my own clients! Bindi and I formed High House in 2021, and it’s so fun to be working in an area I love with such a fabulous collaborator and designer as Bindi! One of my major interests is designing and building furniture and joinery, working in wood, steel and other materials. While not working or building things, you may find me sailing, swimming or out kayaking on Pittwater. |
Bindi Hooghuis B.Arch (hons) UTS
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Hello, I’m Bindi Hooghuis. I have more than 20 years’ experience in the architectural industry, and my own successful business for a lot of that time. I grew up in Sydney and spent most of my early life with my family sailing up and down the East coast. My keen interest in the environment, design and science led me to do an architecture degree at UTS, Sydney. I’ve worked on many types of buildings, from libraries and conference centres, to commercial and residential buildings. Some of my favourite work so far includes the time I spent in the UK contributing to a range of large commercial and public buildings and back home in Sydney working for respected firm Ancher Mortlock & Woolley. But I have loved working in my own practice, for the flexibility and the challenge it provided while raising a family. I am really excited about this phase with High House and working directly with John. He’s an amazing design specialist and a fantastic communicator! Because I get a kick out of solving complex design problems, the projects I take on often involve tight budgets, evolving client briefs, co-ordination of complex structural design solutions and integration of sustainable and passive design principles, while navigating the building approval process and producing construction documentation. I try to stay across the latest ideas and technology and incorporate them where the fit is good in my work, with sustainable design being an important principle. Recent project types include the design of new homes, alterations projects, secondary dwellings, refurbishments and commercial fit-outs—I’m sustained by my track record of giving great value to satisfied clients. While not working and learning, I’m either in the water or dreaming of a new adventure! |
Rocky
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Hi I'm Rocky the office dog. Keeping an eye on the quality of work output particularly in relation to comfort and siting design, with 10+ years experience. A rescue dog from the Eastern suburbs of Sydney, my first job was modelling for Coogee Dog Rescue Calendar 2013, where I featured.
Since then, I like to keep order in the studio of High house, watching out for important mail deliveries, security and general office cleanup duties! |
