Innehållsförteckning för #102 Mar-Apr 2025 från Green Magazine

INTRODUCTION Converting your home to run completely on electricity benefits your wallet and the climate, but it can be confusing. There are lots of moving parts and barriers for homeowners to make the switch… Say hello to Goodbye Gas, who co-ordinate the entire process of switching all your gas appliances such as hot water, cooktops and heating to electric, which results in an efficient and healthy home. WHY SHOULD WE ELECTRIFY? Climate change is real. Electrifying everything is the single most effective thing we can do to reduce carbon emissions. Operational carbon in the built environment contributes to 27% of total global emissions. By making electrification effortless and transitioning to renewable energy sources, we have a unique opportunity to accelerate Australia towards a sustainable future. WHAT SERVICES DO GOODBYE GAS…

Alter, a collection of 280 ceramic sculptures arranged across 80 plinths, invites interaction and exploration. Exhibited at Melbourne’s The Front Room gallery last December, the display encouraged viewers to touch, rearrange and reinterpret the pieces, transforming the work into a constantly evolving tableau. Bruce Rowe, the artist behind the collection, hand-built each piece, drawing on archetypal forms like towers, bridges, grids and columns – shapes that blur the line between the familiar and abstract. The vibrant colour palette, developed over many months, spans from pale off-white and lemon yellow to deep olive green, iron red, and blackened bronze, adding depth and character to the textured surfaces. By exploring the interplay between viewer, material and form, Alter reflects Rowe’s ongoing investigation into human connection and the transformative power of interaction. brucerowestudio.com /…

Dieter Ingles’ voyage into fine furniture design began early in his career, building luxury yacht interiors in Auckland. There, he honed the meticulous attention to detail and material understanding that now define the work of Dietzwood, his New Zealand furniture design and manufacturing studio. Starting out in a converted stable on a family property, Ingles began creating pieces that reflect his distinctive background and aesthetic sensibilities. At the heart of his work is a deep appreciation for timber, particularly species he worked with on superyachts. “I prefer using American oak and ash for my furniture,” he explains, “but I’m also interested in experimenting with other timbers like cherry.” This experimental spirit is a hallmark of his practice, grounded in the confidence of high-end craftsmanship. With clean lines, subtle textures, and…

Inspired by the Pinjarrega Nature Reserve in Western Australia where designer David Tate spent his childhood, Eganu is an upright cabinet that reflects the region’s landscapes and ecology. Described by Tate as “the Banksia and the Emu”, the design resembles a banksia pod that incorporate ethically sourced emu eggs and feathers. The eggs represent the pod’s closed, woody follicles, and the feathers mirror its spiky inflorescence (the beard-like flower styles). Presented by Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert at Design Miami 2024, the gallery’s debut showcased Australian ingenuity on a world stage. Meticulously made over 18 months, Eganu reflects Tate’s respect for material and storytelling, celebrating his connection to place. Direct enquiries can be made to the gallery. @studio_david_tate / gallerysallydancuthbert.com…

Discarded tennis balls, typically destined for landfill, find a second life in Mathilde Wittock’s Bounce Bench. Made from Wittock’s patent-pending material innovation, Soundbounce, the bench offers both acoustic and tactile qualities making it ideal for soundproofing applications as well as interactive, touchable furniture. Each square metre of Soundbounce incorporates approximately 283 upcycled tennis balls, preventing an estimated 8.5 kilogram of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere. mwodesign.com…

LOCATION BUNURONG COUNTRY / MORNINGTON / VIC • Nine years ago, a couple with four adult children, three having kids of their own, bought a Mornington beach house at the base of an exceptionally steep block in a winding clifftop street they’d had their eye on for years. Looking up from the house to the hill above, they saw the perfect spot for an adult retreat with 360-degree views they’d never get enough of. Their architects recognised a few other things, too. A tricky triangular site that narrows sharply towards its apex. A steep side driveway that would wedge the new house into one corner. A 20-degree gradient that would make construction a challenge. The complex requirements of the site’s bushfire rating, flood plane grading and setbacks from nearby neighbours.…

Designed to transform hard-surfaced outdoor areas into green spaces, the Urban Sanctuary decking and planter collection by Thor’s Hammer fits together like a jigsaw puzzle. Three parallelogram decking tiles tessellate to form hexagonal foundations, creating a modular system. “Tesserae Decking Tiles” pair with “Pollen Planters” and “Seat Tops” of varying heights to form layered, honeycomb-like patterns. Salvaging and recycling demolition timber in their Canberra workshop, Thor’s Hammer designs and makes custom furniture from high-quality recycled material. Urban Sanctuary repurposes recycled decking offcuts, continuing efforts to save as much timber from landfill as possible. thors.com.au…

Our feature article in this issue is reflective of our society and its diversity of needs. As we grapple with a shortage of affordable housing, some shining examples come to the fore. A build-to-rent-to-own model developed by Assemble and designed by Hayball offers a solution whereby a pathway, with set rental and purchase prices, allows residents to live in the home they are saving to buy. In Sydney a community housing provider engaged architects Collins and Turner to design 20 secure, yet open and light-filled apartments, giving the mentally ill and homeless dignity and access to beautiful homes. Elsewhere medium density architecture that responds to climate and engages with the streetscape is adding character and community to our neighbourhoods. The passive house movement is gaining ground. We include two, one…

The Catifa Carta series builds on Arper’s acclaimed Catifa 53 chair, designed by Lievore Altherr Molina in 2001. While the original’s iconic silhouette was made from polypropylene, Catifa Carta reintroduces it with PaperShell – a 100 per cent biogenic, carbon-negative material developed in 2021 by Swedish start-up PaperShell. Made by layering kraft paper from wood by-products and bonding it with natural resin, the resulting shell is a sustainable, load-bearing material that mimics the performance and durability of engineered wood. Described as “an advanced version of structural origami,” PaperShell acts as a carbon sink, sequestering more CO2 during its life cycle than it emits. Designed for disassembly and longevity, at the end of their use Catifa Carta’s components can be transformed into biochar, a carbon-sequestering, soil-enriching material that stabilises degraded agricultural…

Made from bark harvested from cork oak trees, this range of trays and bowls by Capra Designs explores the versatility of Portuguese cork, an endlessly renewable resource. Naturally resilient, the pieces carry antibacterial, water-resistant and heat-insulating properties, and are available in natural and smoked finishes … smart, strong and attractive. Designed on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula and produced in partnership with a Portuguese manufacturer with over a century of cork expertise. capradesigns.com…

The bend in the river is where the eel trap is. A big stone weir cuts diagonally upstream, changing the flow of the water. The eels, migrating along the river, have no choice but to swim into the trap. Iuk or eel traps were constructed and maintained by the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people as part of a continuing aquaculture infrastructure practice that was once found along the length of the Birrarung (Yarra) and Maribyrnong rivers. This particular eel trap, at Garambi Baanj or Laughing Waters, is one of the last intact traps, untouched due to its remote location. And it is now being restored – alongside three architecturally significant houses and the land on the site – thanks to the initiative of a not-for-profit organisation called InPlace. “It's an incredibly…

Duo Cutlery reframes the utilitarian kitchen tool we all know so well. Created by designers Friedrich Gerlach and Leon Bucher, sleek laser-cut and brushed stainless steel cutlery pieces are encased with recycled plastic handles. Plastic waste is sorted into colours and, using an open-source injection moulding machine, shaped into handles with distinctive swirled or flecked patterns and a vibrant spectrum of colours. Transforming food packaging waste into eating utensils, Duo Cutlery is both playful and thought-provoking – a small nudge to rethink waste and recycling habits, one mouthful at a time. friedrichgerlach.de / leonbucher.de…

Set in a Currumbin industrial estate, The Warehouses tackle a typology often overlooked in architectural discourse, showcasing the value of creating spaces for public life to thrive even in the unlikeliest of settings such as a shed. This potential became evident during the 2022 Northern Rivers disaster when the site served as a flood-relief hub, an experience that shaped the client’s vision for a socially conscious precinct. The project brings together five existing industrial sheds, creating a unified space that balances private tenancies with thoughtfully designed communal areas, mirroring the dynamic of a thriving share house. Architects J.AR OFFICE retained 65 per cent of the original structures and integrated salvaged hardwood throughout the design, reducing waste and preserving the site’s industrial heritage. Robust and low-maintenance, the flood-resilient structure features durable,…

A former mechanic’s garage in South Melbourne has been transformed into Pirate Life Brewing’s new venue – an adaptive reuse project by architecture and interior design practice, studio gram. The original mechanic’s pit now forms the footprint of a designated dining area, a nod to the site’s working history. Materials chosen for their ability to age and patina over time reinforce the industrial aesthetic, while mechanic-inspired details like raw fittings, ale-coloured welder’s curtains and large light boxes echo the building’s automotive roots. Softening the harder industrial elements, greenery spills from repurposed stock trough planters, and a mature olive tree stands at the centre of the beer hall. Subtle façade changes bring natural light inside, enhancing its connection to the streetscape, while locally made furniture and lighting by South Australian and…

The New Raw, a Rotterdam-based studio founded by Panos Sakkas and Foteini Setaki, repurposes plastic waste into high-end furniture and installations, turning discarded materials into design statements. Using advanced robotics and a process-driven approach, the studio develops materials with layered textures and organic forms, treating imperfections as opportunities for innovation. At times, anomalies and misprints have sparked entirely new designs – turning ‘defects’ into high-end furniture is an act of subversion in an industry that often generates excess in pursuit of precision. thenewraw.org…

New solutions Seeing a challenge in Australia’s housing market and setting out to change it, Assemble approaches apartment living differently. Completed in 2024, 15 Thompson Street in Kensington, Melbourne, offers a pathway to purchase (or build-to-rent-to-own) that allows residents to save for home ownership while living in their home by providing set purchase and rental prices from when they move in. The project focuses on placemaking and community building with Hayball delivering the architecture and Oculus the landscape. “Through the design of our projects, we aim to connect neighbours to form social bonds and community, helping them feel more ingrained in place,” says Emma Telfer, Assemble’s chief operating officer. Unexpected amenities add to the sense of belonging – a rooftop dog park, sand pits and basketball court, as well as…

LOCATION NOONGAR COUNTRY / NEDLANDS / WA • A nest of Lego-like shapes, this house near the Swan River in Perth seems perfectly simple at first glance, its lovely lines creating defined and easy living spaces that fit together like a puzzle. It is cozy, snug and friendly with an unfussy feel – a bit like a cabin in the woods somewhere – but, as is so frequently the case with good design, all this ease and simplicity belies the extensive considerations and engineering that is behind its construction. The house was designed by architect Siew-Fung Then, associate of Ewert Leaf, for her family; partner Reto Hofman and their two daughters. Siew-Fung’s first step in her process was to employ a certified German Passivhaus builder and certifier to make sure…

Distilling the tension between structure and fluidity in a solid form, "converge 3" (2024) explores the visual language where a circle represents the natural and connected, and a square the modern and isolated. Once part of a living system, the council-removed timber now holds a fixed geometry in its new form, speaking to a broader exploration of human intervention in natural cycles. Part of Softening Squares at Sawtooth ARI (Launceston Artistrun Initiative), the piece extends into a new series of vases in the Tasmania Makes exhibition at Design Tasmania 2025. isaacwilliamsdesignobjects.com…

LOCATION EASTERN KUKU YALANJI COUNTRY / DAINTREE / QLD • The significance and visual beauty of The Daintree cannot be overestimated. Here is the only place on earth where two World Heritage areas meet. Staying at the Daintree Ecolodge set in the jungle of this precious region is an invitation to experience both the Barrier Reef and the area's unique tropical rainforest. North of Mossman and upstream from the ferry crossing, the lodge is in the lush Daintree River Valley. Upon arrival, or on return from a day’s activities, it is the serenity of the location that is most striking. The lodge was purchased by the Intrepid Travel Group in October 2023 in the company’s first foray into owned and operated destinational accommodation. Barely two months on though, the devastating…