I remember well the first time I experienced first hand a home designed not for its looks but rather for the experience within. It was my birthday and my wife Jaki had brought me a seat on a bus to an architecture tour. With many other people we travelled to a number of beautiful well known homes in Brisbane. One of these was Donovan Hill’s D-House in New Farm. My experience of this space left me completely undone and speechless. The way this house responded to its immediate environment from the inside out was absolutely staggering.
The indication of a good designer is one that is continually evolving in his or her understanding of space. The D-House turned my world upside down and moved me towards the pursuit of a philosophy rather than a specific aesthetic outcome. And that is what we have to do in approaching the future of our housing in Australia, with particular emphasis to Queensland. We have an opportunity to make a statement to the world through our response to current events, showcasing a way forward that is both relevant to people and responsive to environment. We live in an age where we have the technological advancements at our finger tips. Let’s take advantage of them and give back to the people houses that facilitate experience, heightened sensory awareness, promote connection and communication and allow for serenity and peace that goes beyond a fabricated mechanical environment.