Innehållsförteckning för #96 Mar-Apr 2024 från Green Magazine

The makeup of housing is changing in our cities, we are seeing a gradual progression towards medium density. We are also seeing alternative approaches to the traditional home. In this issue we look at five different types of architecture that aren't your usual single house on an urban block. On an infill site in inner Melbourne, Six Degrees Architects teemed up with Hip V. Hype to utilise a narrow strip bound by roads and a light-rail. The outcome, a groundbreaking carbon-neutral, 8.6 star, 100 per cent electric apartment block that is comfortable and beautiful. In Brisbane a trio of pavilions connected via courtyards has created a village-like home to multiple generations. Finished just before COVID and with an ailing parent to care for, it demonstrates the value of multi-generational living.…

Designed by Charlotte von der Lancken, the tabletops in Skandiform's Tinnef table collection are made from 100 per cent recycled plastic waste ('tinnef' is the Yiddish word for rubbish). Each tabletop is superbly unique, made from a rotating smorgasbord of recycled materials that reflect humanity's excessive use of plastic, from PET packaging and cosmetic bottles (“Frosty Sprinkles”), recycled white goods such as fridges and dishwashers (“Meadow Green”) to reclaimed medical equipment and food packaging (“Black Coal”). The Tinnef collection is distributed in Australia by K5 Furniture, and available to view in their Melbourne and Sydney showrooms. cvdlab.se skandiform.com kfive.com.au…

Upfront This groundbreaking energy positive retrofit sees a two storey exfactory building converted into a co-working space for world-bettering people and businesses. Sanders Place is a collaboration between NMBW Architecture Studio, Finding Infinity and Openwork for impact investment group Tripple. It's one of the first efforts informing A New Normal Melbourne, an ambitious project to transform Melbourne from an energy consumer to a producer by 2030. Removal was a significant concept in the project; NMBW cut five courtyards into the building, bringing nature inside and allowing the building to breathe in summer and be sealed up in winter. New skylights bring natural light to the deep floor plate and down to the ground floor, while external courtyard areas offer space for connection and community, and a place to gather, work…

Upfront Originally conceived as a small water vessel by ceramicist and designer Paula Schinkel, the “Halb” (German for half) wall light was cleverly adapted into a striking wall sconce with the help of Adelaide-based studio Handmade & Found. “Halb” is created using slip-cast ceramic molds, the unique shape allowing light to emanate from both the top and midpoint. It's available glazed or unglazed, in left and right-hand configurations. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. handmadeandfound.net.au @handmade_and_found…

Profile With an eye for the nuances of natural beauty and an unwavering commitment to sustainability, Ellen Douglas of Botany Melbourne has created a Melbourne-based online floristry practice that, as she explains, “Prioritises environmental responsibility while delivering quality and highly seasonal flower arrangements without compromising our planet”. “It all started with floral foam,” says Ellen, describing the motivation behind the creation of Botany. Floral foam is a fine-celled plastic foam that slowly breaks down into microscopic particles that eventually make their way into our waterways. It's a product that is commonly used in the conventional floristry industry to hold arrangements together in water, yet it's a product that Botany consciously refuses to use. Instead of using floral foam, Botany sends arrangements in glass vases that can be reused or returned…

Houses • 19 Waterloo Street is an eye-catching, exuberant building in a grittier part of Sydney's Surry Hills. Its whimsical façade is playful and vibrant and attracts curiosity and comment from passers-by. Owner and architect Adam Haddow, director of SJB, is pleased people have an opinion and are engaging with the building, as it showcases a new approach to density and city living. And while the exterior draws attention, what people can't see or gauge from the street is the house is only 3.3 metres deep – considerably less than the length of a car. It's also one part of a mixed-use site – a rear addition to the terrace at the front, which includes a corner shop, and a two-bedroom flat above. Despite the house's compact 30-square-metre footprint, there…

Gallagher House • 1973 Kew, Victoria Architect: Kevin Borland As the Yarra River winds along the southern edge of Studley Park the terrain expands out into a flood plain of unbuildable space. Sitting in this zone are a series of residential blocks with typical street frontages that dramatically stretch back over 100 metres to the river's edge. Perched at the front of one of these sites, sitting a scant 300 millimetres above the mandated flood level, is the Gallagher House, a tree house-inspired design by Kevin Borland from 1973. This stunning property has recently been for sale and, along with photographer Jack Lovel, I took the rare opportunity to visit and learn about the project to inform my Studley Modern architecture tours that run regularly in the area. During the…

Manjabu (Fish Trap) by Northern Territory and Burarra/ Martay artist Indra Prudence is made from pandanus palm and natural dyes and woven using a technique taught to her by her mum's grandmother. Indra grew up in Maningrida, a community in the heart of Arnhem Land and has been teaching there for the past 20 years. “I love weaving because I can teach how to keep culture strong,” she says. Indra's work appeared in Marrawuddi x Craft, a partnership between Marrawuddi Arts & Culture and Craft Victoria showcasing the works of artists from the Kakadu and West Arnhem regions. marrawuddi.com.au craft.org.au…

Houses • Proudly overlooking Royal Park in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Brunswick, Park Street by Milieu breathes new life into the humble Oxley Lodge. The development rejuvenates the old motel as one of Milieu's first build-to-rent ventures. It is an undertaking that is part of an important series of developments emboldening the movement to modernise ageing medium-density buildings across Australia. This shift highlights the importance of these buildings in finding solutions to remedy both the growing housing shortage and high carbon footprint of new developments. Oxley Lodge was built as a motel in the 1970s, which until recently was solely owned and operated by the one family. Immediately adjacent to parklands, tram lines and a train station, it was the perfect candidate for revitalisation. The refurbishment, across two parallel three-storey…

Upfront Garden Woodworkers Studio was designed to seamlessly blend into this Auckland site, with an architecturally-designed house at the front, and carefully considered landscaped gardens throughout. Constructive Architecture imagined a space that mirrors the clients' commitment to quality woodworking practices, and nestled the structure deep into the garden for strong indoor-outdoor connectivity. Shou sugi ban (charred timber) exterior cladding further camouflages the building, while on the interior gauged shiplap lining boards in recycled native rimu bring the outside in. Built by Auckland builders J. R Hosking Co. jrhcarpenters.co.nz constructivearchitecture.co.nz…

Upfront Japanese designer and architect Daisuke Yamamoto challenges the construction industry's throwaway culture with his FLOW product series, featuring a collection of chairs made from Lightweight Gauge Steel (LGS), a common construction material. Designed with future deconstruction in mind, the collection encourages a conversation around a 'future landfill' that advocates for a shift from the linear 'think-build-waste' mentality to a circular 'waste-think-recreate' approach and where architects and makers work hand-in-hand to reassemble discarded materials. At the Dropcity Convention as part of Milan Design Week 2023, Yamamoto and craft artist Taketo Masui demonstrated the future landfill concept during a workshop held inside a huge historic tunnel in Milan Central Station that showed the process of cutting and reconstructing the LGS into one of their chair designs. dropcity.org daisukeyamamoto.com…

green partner profile As we reflect on the legacy of John Pizzey, who passed away on October 26th, 2023, our hearts are filled with a profound sense of loss and admiration. John, as the Managing Director and Owner of Porta, left an indelible mark on a company that has been a cornerstone of Australia's timber industry for five generations. This tribute, brimming with respect and warmth, not only resonates within the company but also profoundly emanates from his wife Helen, and children Claire, Olivia, and Thomas, as well as the broader Porta family. Since its establishment in 1868, Porta has evolved into a distinguished manufacturer of timber mouldings and lining boards. Our partnership with Bunnings, initiated in 1992, played a significant role in the remarkable growth and has been a…

Houses • In the quiet, suburban area of Mount Gravatt in Brisbane's south, an existing 1970s residential dwelling has been transformed, and is now almost unrecognisable. Young architectural practice Alcorn Middleton has renovated and elevated the original house with the addition of two new pavilion buildings, now able to accommodate a multigenerational extended family. With the premise to renovate a childhood home in the most sustainable way possible, a threesection build was envisioned to connect both architecture and inhabitants together, allowing all to essentially live under one roof. Centred around an open-air garden courtyard, outdoor pathways unite the two new pavilions with the original home across a single plot of 596 square metres. One pavilion is reserved solely for sleeping, the other for congregating, with the third structure combining both…

Houses • With segments on public radio, features in two national newspapers, in-depth exploration in the architectural press and countless other online stories, Cohaus – a 20-unit housing project in Auckland's Grey Lynn – was the talk of the town even before the first spade broke ground. Architects Thom Gill and Helle Westergaard of Studio Nord, along with another family, were the driving force behind the idea. Having lived in Copenhagen for five years, and London before that, they recognised the value of shared public space. They wanted to craft a community who, like them, believed in the sustainability and social cohesiveness this type of arrangement represents. They decided to find the land, design and market the project themselves and … live there. Co-living is not a concept well explored…

• On this revegetation project in the Painkalac Valley, nestled just upstream from the Aireys Inlet lighthouse on Victoria's Surf Coast, the catchphrase 'Build it and they will come' from the 1989 sports film Field of Dreams applies equally to the return of native bird, plant and mammal species as to fans flocking to a homemade diamond to watch long gone baseball players. With the arrival of European agriculture almost 200 years ago, nature was dispossessed of this land, as much as land can ever truly be dispossessed from nature. The vegetation was cut down, burned, poisoned and ploughed out. Animals were killed. Nature was forced to retreat to the edges of the land. The new agriculture was based not on co-dependence, sustainability, working with nature, as the people who…

Travel • This mall Victorian peninsula separates Corio and Port Phillip Bays from Bass Strait and has long been a haven for savvy tourists and growers of fine food. The Bellarine is well established as a destination to explore fresh produce, wineries and a variety of accommodation options. Early childhood memories of school holidays at Indented Head left an impression of sleepy coastal villages with quaint seaside shacks. In the late 1800s tourists would arrive by steamer from Melbourne at the Portalington Pier. Today the laid back pace can still be felt as you meander across the rolling hinterland taking in the views and sampling the bounty of regional fare. With so many places to visit, a minimum two-day stay is recommended. Depending on whether you arrive by ferry at…