Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 103 April i Houses

Much of the appeal in playing with a doll’s house is the sense of possibility in redesigning each space on a whim: reaching in like a giant, switching furniture and transforming a sedate upstairs bedroom to, say, a playspace for seventeen Sylvanians (if you have kids under the age of ten, you’ll understand; if not, Google it). And so it is with this Doll’s House, a renovation and extension of a timber bungalow in inner Melbourne, designed by BKK Architects’ Simon Knott for his young family. It’s a house imbued with the flexibility required to accommodate the changing needs of a family as kids grow from preschoolers to teens and beyond, and the professional needs of their parents, in any number of configurations. This flexibility is derived from the house’s…

Contemporary architecture, particularly the single domestic variety, is often used by the architect as a vehicle to explore any number of artistic interests. The line that exists between art and architecture can be a wiggly, cranked and blurry one – that’s if you assume there is a line there at all. Architecture can be fashion(able), and it can sometimes even be art, but the strength of architecture – its fundamental purpose being to provide occupants with any number of requirements – can be found in itself. An architect putting a building together the best way that they can, to create something special for a client, can result in a place, an act, of real delight. Tzannes Associates was approached by the owners of a property in Sydney’s eastern suburbs to…

Over the past ten years of reviewing houses, I have observed changes in the emphases of client briefs and the architectural response. Open-plan living has been adapted to contemporary life, easing out some of the difficulties inherent in this form, re-engaging with the qualities of a room and continually renegotiating a relationship with home technology. Spaces such as kitchens have increasingly become served rather than servant spaces and there is a renewed level of engagement with the immediate external environment, particularly in homes designed for families with young children. Winscombe Extension by Preston Lane Architects reflects a number of these shifts. When I spoke with director Daniel Lane about the project, he noted that today’s clients are also asking for less space, but wanting it to do more. Winscombe Extension,…

Working on small historic residential properties can be a thankless task: the local council wants the street frontage improved; the client wants a small house made large, without overcapitalizing. The architect wonders what will sustain them through the two years of work from start to finish, what will make the project rise above a mundane task of cleaning up an old house. In this tiny but clever project, Hannah Tribe and her team have not only designed to fulfil the brief and match the tight budget, they have also added a whole layer of whimsy. They have delivered a little house that is big on ideas and full of delight. The dwelling presents to the street as a typical small, narrow terrace, with an additional, newer tower sitting next to…

Romberg House, in the Melbourne suburb of Eaglemont, can be seen as a physical manifestation of the forces of international politics and design that influenced Australia at the start of the Second World War. It has survived beautifully intact since its construction in 1941. Designed by Frederick Romberg for his family, the home’s spaces are small by today’s standards, but it is not a small house. It opens onto views of a valley through large windows. The architect was not only the client, but also the builder. He had to be – builders were in short supply at the time. Why did Romberg, a non-Jewish German national, emigrate to Australia in 1938, on the eve of war? Having involved himself in left-wing politics while studying law in Germany, Romberg found…

01 Glass: Art Design Architecture On until 18 April 2015 Take a closer look at this versatile material at an exhibition at Adelaide’s Jam Factory. Showcasing twenty-three outstanding projects by contemporary Australian artists, designers and architects including Architectus, Charles Wright Architects and Max Pritchard Architect, it will represent a cross-section of current creative practices and approaches to glass. This exhibition will tour to fourteen venues nationally. jamfactory.com.au 02 2015 Houses Awards shortlist announcement 1 May 2015 Keep an eye out for the announcement of the 2015 Houses Awards shortlist, published online on Friday 1 May. Don’t forget to mark in your diary the awards presentation night, to be held at Melbourne’s NGV International on Friday 31 July. Ticket sales commence in May. housesawards.com.au 03 Nordic Cool: Modernist Design On until…

01 Laminate FMD Architects uses the cost-effective material laminate in a multitude of creative ways. The product’s low maintenance requirements and durability make it a great material to use in family homes, as seen here in the kitchen of Bayside Residence. laminex.com.au 02 Vogue tiles FMD Architects uses various sizes and colours of Vogue tiles to create interesting patterns in its bathroom and kitchen designs, as seen here at the Cerise Residence. This tile comes in a non-slip finish, allowing a seamless transition from the shower to the general bathroom floor. classicceramics.com.au 03 Oxygene 13191 tap The Oxygene 13191 tap has a simple, streamlined elegance. FMD Architects prefers fixtures that are recessive as opposed to being a standout feature of the design. abey.com.au 04 Mirror FMD Architects enjoys the way…

The name of the Brisbane suburb “Taringa” is understood to be derived from local Aboriginal words meaning “place of stones.” The area is defined by a significant ridgeline that references both Mt Cootha and the Brisbane River. Steep slopes characterize a dramatic topography that hosts impossible driveways and a history of local architectural wonders. In the adjoining suburb of St Lucia, the postwar works of Karl Langer, and Edwin Hayes and Campbell Scott (students of Langer), sought to bend the international movement of modernism to the subtropical climate that Brisbane is famous for. Their works also sought to reject prewar timber and tin construction and in doing so, clearly marked the location of a new avant-garde in the architectural scene. Back to Taringa and fast-forward to the latter half of…

01 Laminex Aquapanel Pictured in Polar White Ripple (basin wall) and Polar White Large Tile (back wall and shower panelling), Laminex Aquapanel is a robust surface ideal for wet areas. Easy to install and maintain, it is non-porous and grout-free. It can be used to create simple backdrops or walls in modern decors. laminex.com.au 02 Pear basin The elegant Agape Pear Basin, designed by Patricia Urquiola, is available in all white, with a grey external surface, or with a grey floral motif. The Pear Basin is pictured with the Agape Sen Towel Rail and Spin Mirror, and sophisticated Inax Yuki Border tiles. artedomus.com 03 Linfa mixer The mixers in Newform’s Linfa collection are available in the eye-catching colours Lime, Coffee, Lemon and Cromo, and black and white. To prevent heating…

Clayfield, in Brisbane’s inner north, is an established suburb situated on gentle breezy hills with views to the bay and city centre. It is characterized by impressive homes constructed in a variety of styles, many exemplary of their particular era, including several designed by renowned architect Robin Dods. This new house by James Russell Architect was the first to be built on land released after the demolition of the Riverton Early Parenting Centre in 2012, which had occupied a large plot since opening in 1942 as a mothercraft hostel. Initial contact between the clients and the architect occurred five years ago. While a project didn’t come to fruition then, valuable discussion took place about the potentials of home building in a benign climate. When the client reconnected with James to…

Personally building your own home is undoubtedly a worthy aspiration. Yet for an architect, there is an undeniable fear associated with designing a home for an owner-builder. In part, it is the potential for an eroded design outcome and loss of quality control, but perhaps more significantly, it is the fear of inflated client expectations regarding time, cost and expertise. While I held these trepidations when visiting Stray House – a compact three-bedroom terrace in Melbourne’s North Fitzroy by Pleysier Perkins – they were quickly and surprisingly extinguished. Director Ramon Pleysier had opportunely worked with owner-builder Daniel and his family on various projects, so when he took on Stray House he was already familiar with Daniel’s tenacity and his trade skills in carpentry and landscaping. Accordingly, Ramon had none of…

01 Bezel pendant This pendant light by Ben Wahrlich is a centrepiece that contrasts a solid top with two types of bases, or “bezels” – patterned or solid. The top is made from spun aluminium in a gloss black or gloss white powdercoat. The bezels are available in polished brass, polished aluminium or powdercoated aluminium. workshopped.com.au 02 Cool Canteloupe paint This “warm, bright and fuzzy” colour is part of the nostalgic Relaxed Replay theme in the Haymes 2015 Colour Forecast. The earthy hue works well teamed with timber furnishings and a quirky rug. Other colours in the theme include Light Frost, Ocean Cruise, Charlotte and Sunburst. haymespaint.com.au 03 Queensland Walnut laminate Formica has expanded its flooring range with eight new decors designed specifically for Australian interiors. One of three Formica…

The collaborative process isn’t necessarily an easy one – particularly when there are diverse aesthetics, talents and objectives at play. Despite such potential complexities, this project is a very successful case study of developer, architect and interior designer working together in harmony. The challenge for this low-rise multi-residential project was to balance the craft and experimentation of MA Architects, the crisp minimalism of Carr Design Group and the warmth and liveability that has come to characterize the work of Neometro. “We all aspire to the same design principles – authenticity of materials, clean design, beautiful detailing,” says Jeff Provan, design director at Neometro. “I’ve found that we like a lot of the same things, and that’s probably why this collaboration worked so well.” The tasks were neatly divided between the…

South Melbourne Terrace was one of the first projects on the books for Wellard Architects, a practice established in 2010. Director Huw Wellard designed the three-bedroom house as a speculative development. The inner-city site, bound on two sides by three-storey terraces, possessed attractive development potential in an otherwise low-rise neighbourhood. While the site provided the rare opportunity to rise to three storeys, the tight 101-square-metre block, with only 4.6 metres of street frontage, also had its limitations. Rather than compromising under the restrictions of the site, Huw worked “collaboratively” with it, allowing its idiosyncrasies to uncover design solutions. The site poses privacy issues on three of the four sides of the boundary. To compound the issue, an uncomfortably healthy dose of disgruntled neighbours left no room for negotiation. The one…

01 Could you tell us a little about your family and your background? There are five of us: myself, my husband David and our three sons, Tom (24), Will (20) and Nick (15). David and I have been married for more than three decades; we lived in Dubbo while David flew for the Royal Flying Doctor Service; in Sydney when David started working for Qantas; and we moved back to Brisbane in 1992 and renovated a house in Wooloowin. I had always been fascinated with interior design and I decided to try my hand at it. I have worked steadily as a specifier/decorator in the local area ever since, building my skill set and my reputation. I enjoy working closely with distributors, builders and architects to produce cohesive and, most…

A weekend in the country sounds like a smashing idea, old chap, eh what? P. G. Wodehouse and his ilk depict the habitual pastime with rubbers of bridge, a few sets of lawn tennis and plenty of gin to wash down the general shenanigans. The setting for this country weekender near Boonah, a hundred-plus clicks south-west of Brisbane, is somewhat more rugged. Rugged has its romance factor too, and the house that Shaun Lockyer Architects designed for a family of five as a country getaway responds to a landscape of powerful proportions and evocative beauty. The historic town of Boonah, once a commercial and gathering centre for local settlers and pastoralists, sits in the fertile Fassifern Valley. Europeans (particularly Germans) first arrived in 1842, and by the end of the…

We are nothing more than the sum of our memories. They are the basis of our emotions; we use them to mark out who we are and the journey we’ve taken in life; they inform how we behave in the present, the decisions we’ll make in the future. But as real as our memories can feel, subjectivity gets in the way and perceptions are distorted. As any psychotherapist will tell you, much can be gained from asking questions of memory and perception, from seeking an understanding of our particular subjectivity. Melbourne architect Andrew Simpson used this to his advantage in designing an extension to a double-storey Victorian terrace in North Carlton, which he calls the Bower House. For, despite bricks and mortar being so solid that they’re commonly used as…