Innehållsförteckning för Habitus #50 - Anniversary Special från Habitus

You are holding the 50th issue of Habitus in your hands. It also happens to be my very first issue as editor. Having reached such a significant milestone in Habitus’ history, we have been thinking about the notion of legacy. By their very nature, architecture and design are slow mediums. And they need to be. Buildings, much like the furniture and objects within these pages, are not made to be used once and thrown away. In this sense, design should always be imbued with legacy, longevity and sustainability. While that’s not always the case, the projects, people and products that have been carefully selected for this special issue of Habitus show just what it means to leave an indelible mark – a legacy. In Melbourne we visit Jeff Provan at…

Firmly anchored in the incredible heritage of Capellini’s brand and aptly named after one of Italy’s most respected designers, Ludovico Magistretti, the new Lud’o Lounge armchair is a fitting expression of the design legacy that transcends both time and medium. Consciously blurring the boundaries between fashion and design, Patricia Urquiola – an award-winning designer and Magistretti’s mentee – has designed a chair with a removeable seat cover much like a tailored jacket. The upholstered seat cover can be easily removed or replaced, and like a jacket, it can be changed based on season and situational context. The outer shell, which mimicks the calming sensation of being wrapped in one’s favourite garment all year round, is available in a range of five cover alternatives ranging from a winter-friendly corduroy to a…

Elwood 2 is a bright and gentle urban oasis for a busy family of four. Based in Melbourne’s beachside suburb Elwood, the dwelling was designed by Chris Rak of Robson Rak Architects & Interiors to offer him and his family a therapeutic reprieve from a packed daily schedule. Intentionally designed to be toned down and minimalistic, the home’s natural colour elevates its restorative profile. Incorporating natural stone, timeless white walls, hardwood flooring and neutral joinery, the soft interiors create a blank canvas onto which the furniture – and an eclectic collection of art – can inject colour into the space. Yet it’s the flooring that takes centre stage, forming a crucial part of this high-end project. Leading through a 1.5m wide hallway into the heart of the home, the stunning…

In December 2020, an intimate crowd gathered at StylecraftHOME in Sydney to reveal and celebrate the Habitus House of the Year winners. Brought to life in a different format, the event was orchestrated as a fully hybrid showcase – presenting the winners live in front of the audience and also streaming out across the region in real-time. The unique, hybrid format meant we crossed live to several winners, including Ling Hao Architect in Singapore who received the Interior And Exterior Connection award; ODDO Architects in Vietnam who received the Interiors award; and Paul Butterworth Architects in Brisbane who received the People's Choice award. Congratulations to Alexander Symes Architect who received the overall Habitus House of the Year award, and who joined us on the evening to revel in his win.…

The Albert Park house, now designed for a couple of empty nesters, is beautifully layered with objects and artefacts found on travels, many from Japan where the couple regularly visit. Jeff Provan works with some of Melbourne’s leading architects and designers. As one of the names behind residential developer Neometro, his inner-city apartments have collaborated with names such as MAArchitects, Clare Cousins, BKK, KPDO, Carr, Fieldworks, Common Ground and DesignOffice to name a few. And he is currently working on a coastal residential developement with Robert Simeoni, Edition Office, Wolveridge, MAArchitects, Kosloff Architecture and Aires Mateus. So, it was not surprising that his main home, a Victorian terrace in a heritage precinct in Albert Park, was a collaboration with MA Architects, Clare Cousins Architects and of course, Neometro. Established in…

Orama PROJECT YEAR 2015 | PHOTOGRAPHY SHARRIN REES “We wanted to pull the two structures apart to bring light into the centre. People think concrete will look industrial but it has a lightness.” Crown 515 PROJECT YEAR 2016 | PHOTOGRAPHY ROSS HONEYSETT On a prominent corner in Surry Hills, Crown 515 presents a dynamic form to the street, reinterpreting the traditional terrace in a contemporary design of angular shapes and shimmering tessellated tiles. “Derived from the pitched roof forms of the surrounding structures and with a conscious nod to the vertical portals of the adjoining terrace typology, the architectural language of the building represents a challenge to the conventional terrace row.” Arbutus PROJECT YEAR 2020 | PHOTOGRAPHY ROMELLO PEREIRA “Using landscaping and distinct concrete spines, the extension to this family…

Founded in 2015 and located in the small village of Hellvik in the south of Norway, Eikund is a brand that was borne from uncovering hidden design classics that had been gathering dust under Nordic roofs. It all started when drawings for the Veng armchair were found in the old archives of the innovative interior design company Rastad & Relling in Oslo. Designed by Torbjorn Bekken in 1960, the piece unlocked a hidden chapter in Norwegian design history – and the Eikund team was hooked. The year-long treasure hunt proved that Norwegian heritage has just as much timeless charm, character and quality as the other globally-acclaimed Scandinavian design traditions – and all it needs was a bright spotlight. Today, Eikund highlights the modernist charm of Norway’s long-lost design history on…

Living in a landed home in Singapore is mostly seen as a privilege, with the majority of the population residing in public housing flats. But in that privilege often lies the irony that privacy is not always a given. Houses sit side by side, separated only by a low boundary wall, one dwelling only a few metres away from the next – neighbours can sometimes be disconcertingly privy to what happens next door. The owners of this house, however, were adamant on claiming their privacy. Tightly wedged between neighbours at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, the residence consists of three full storeys as well as a mezzanine and attic floor. All this rests behind a guarded screen of steel-framed wood panels, with little revealed of the 455-square-metre plot. What…

Laminex and Kennedy Nolan present STUDIO KITCHEN: an artful interpretation of the kitchen, elevated by vibrant, solid colours, natural textures and a uniquely sculptural approach to form-making. This space is designed to inspire and challenge people to see things in a fresh, new perspective. “It’s a creative space where you test things and try things, rather than think, ‘this is how it’s going to be,’” shares Rachel Nolan, Principal of Kennedy Nolan. The Studio Kitchen delivers visual impact and usability within a compact footprint, using rich colour and luxurious AbsoluteMatte® finishes from the Laminex® Colour Collection. laminex.com.au…

“It was through books that I learned what was happening in the world, including the idea of the artist in France. So, I decided I wanted to become an artist.” The youngest of five siblings, Chong Siew Ying describes herself as “the black sheep of the family”. The scion of a poor, second-generation Chinese farming family, Siew Ying started school at seven and realised she could draw. “Before that,” she says, “I just played with mud and palm trees.” Acknowledgement of her gift came in art class. At the same time, she began to read. Initially, this consisted of huge amounts of Japanese Manga translated into Mandarin. “It was through books that I learned what was happening in the world, including the idea of the artist in France. So, I…

Setting out with the brief of making an efficient live and work set-up for a couple in Sydney’s bustling Glebe, designer Nicholas Gurney has renovated a 71-square-metre, two-bedroom home into an adept apartment with one bedroom, two bathrooms and an office. Aptly named Yin and Yang, the project balances work/life spaces by linking rather than demarcating them. The entry portal transports you from the commotion of the city into a calming black hole, before opening onto the kitchen and lounge areas. A large translucent partition wall veils the office; it’s the only barrier between work and life, and it’s a flexible one. A large window in the office space overlooks the Modernist Bidura Children’s Court (which is to be controversially demolished). To Nicholas, the apartment draws the character of this…