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 […]
Wow, I just discovered this house designed by architect Simon Laws. Absolutely stunning! Also see Dream Build – ABC or iview – ABC The Drew house is a holiday retreat for Australian photographic artist, Marian Drew, and her brother Derek. In their youths the family took camping trips to the […]
Earlier in the year I discovered a small but interesting architectural competition called ‘Respace’. The basis of the competition is to raise awareness regarding recycled materials while showcasing creative and successful small space design inspired by functionality. Below is the description and some images of our entry. We find out on the 15th of September who is […]
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 […]
There is a beautiful restrained elegance in the work of Brisbane architectural firm Owen and Vokes. Their ‘4-room Cottage’ recently took out ‘House of the Year’ in Brisbane’s Regional Architecture Awards (2012). It is wonderful to see small refined buildings receiving the big gongs in contrast to the normal high-tech mansions that so often feature. What […]
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 […]
One can look but not see. Observation is different. Observation is considered looking, or measured looking, which draws an appropriate conclusion. – Richard Leplastrier
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 […]
It hardly seems appropriate to be showing some of my own work after posting a blog on Louis Kahn, however I do want to let you in on what we have been up to and share the story behind the ‘Valentine House’. As many of you may know Jaki, the kids and I live in […]
For anyone with an interest in design and building, Kevin McCloud’s latest series of ‘Grand Designs’ being shown on the ABC at 7:30pm on Sundays provides an insight into the world of better built and high thermal performance housing. While more extreme temperatures have driven the refinement of building systems in Europe and the US, […]