Architecture that literally grows has grown as a green building concept, though it still generally sees sporadic moments in the sun but no real mainstream uptake. The notion of bio-architecture, or growing structures or features of structures has always been a green building ideal. Like many other innovative concepts, however, it has never caught on […]
In 2011, we completed this little three-bedroom house for some friends of the family. It is our first Victorian commission. The house has a history of being tinkered with by previous owners, some parts successful and others not so much. Our idea was to really clean it up, take advantage of the spectacular views and […]
With flowerpots all in a row—if you’re Joost Bakker, a floral artist with a house outside Melbourne, Australia Flower grower, florist, installation artist, and tireless advocate of sustainable design, Joost Bakker is so well-known in Melbourne that he’s become a first-name-only celebrity. So when he masterminded a pop-up café, bar, and events venue in the […]
Thermal mass is a critical component of passive solar design, and probably the most misunderstood. The role of thermal mass is to effectively stabilise interior temperatures at all tims of the year, and this at zero running cost, which makes it most attractive. But how does it work? 1. What is thermal mass? We […]
As population growth continues to increase in Brisbane, where urban sprawl has claimed the farthest reach of any Australian city, it is becoming common to see small-time developers subdividing land close to the city fringe in an attempt to capitalise on density changes in council legislation. Prior to 2009, land owners were not able to […]
The architect is charged with the responsibility of progressing spatiality that which benefits human condition. – Hani Rashid of Asymptote Architecture
If you are keeping your finger on the pulse, like us you would be noticing that 2011 is ushering in a level of innovation across the board within the construction industry, this appears to be happening mainly out of necessity more than anything. It is coming as a result of rising building costs, availability of […]
The well know saying “We are what we eat” obviously talks about one’s physical health in relation to food consumption but what about “We are what we build.” Let’s think about this for a moment, if we construct homes that have their planning arrangements centred on unknown future circumstances that often take the safest, most […]