Selected Projects
Aboriginal Males Healing Centre >
Newman
We have provided pro bono design services to The Aboriginal Male’s Healing Centre Inc (AMHC), a not for profit based in Newman in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, for a proposed centre to provide an alternative to incarceration for men that use violence against women and children.
Our involvement has included stakeholder engagement, workshops and design outcomes. The AMHC site is located on a significant dreaming path – Kangaroo Dreaming - recognised as a male ceremonial pathway. This important cultural connection has been incorporated into the design of the centre and the centre’s program, including the use of art work, motifs and cultural materials; as well as influencing the location, layout, form and materials of the buildings and landscape.
For more information on this project visit the AHMC website
Berms & Barrels >
Margaret River
2018
Designed to provide short stay accomodation targeting the growing market for bike riding and surfing, Berms and Barrels is tucked away in a quiet street of Margaret River town centre. The site is part of a small infill sub-division that overlooks a Karri forest reserve. The plan of the house wraps an external courtyard and has an internal floor area of 95 square metres. The accomodation includes an open plan living space, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Despite its small size the house has a spacious feel through the use of a restrained material pallette, high volumes, outlook and natural light.
Photography - Pieter Naessens
Spindrift Cove >
Quindalup
2016
Spindrift Cove House is a reaction to Australia’s fixation on building big for the sake of it. We currently build bigger houses than America, which are energy intensive to construct, heat, cool and maintain. Spindrift Cove is a small house that has been designed to suit the needs of the residents, and is a demonstration of infill development which maintains social and environmental integrity.
The 96 sq.m., two bedroom house has been built on a small site, with an emphasis on solar passive design. A 3.5m northern setback allows for winter sun penetration into the living area to heat thermal mass of concrete slab, while well designed eaves, pergola and green wall provide shading in summer. A large glazed opening to the north provides easy access to an outdoor area and gives a sense of spaciousness.
Mature peppermint trees have been retained on the site, with native planting forming a key part of the landscaping to provide habitat for the endangered Western Ringtail Possum. The design has utilised water sensitive design elements such as rain water storage and reuse (plumbed to toilet and washing machine), rain gardens and a wicking bed for food production.
The smaller footprint has led to the design of spaces that easily adapt to suit changing needs. Less storage space has also promoted behavioural change in the occupants, questioning consumption and limiting items to those essential for the dwelling.
photography - Pieter Naessens
Four Pillars >
Healesville
2015
Working with Overend Constructions we were involved in designing new premises for Four Pillars Gin. The project involved the conversion of an existng timber framed, metal clad warehouse to accomodate the distillery and gin tasting room.
Photography - Anson Smart
Mono >
Busselton WA
2015
Mono was envisioned as a store where good coffee, creative crafts and a community atmosphere could be merged. The owners found a perfect disused space that had the potential to be transformed into a store with a relaxed and inviting atmosphere that includes a coffee bar and outdoor seating, a shop, and a workroom. Mono is located in a laneway just off busy Queen Street in Busselton, a thriving coastal town in the South-west of Western Australia.
The design of the store meets all of the owners’ aspirations and makes the most of the space available, while optimising the natural light from the walled garden courtyard. The store layout centres around the main feature of the fit-out - the linear coffee bar - constructed from timber pallets that have been painted black. Costs were kept low through the use of readily available materials and simple construction techniques, allowing the owners to do most of the work themselves.
The material palette is restrained to compliment the stores overall branding and includes white walls, polished concrete floors, plywood shelving and benches. Although these materials are simple in their own rights, their use and juxtaposition at Mono makes a striking and dramatic statement.
Text - Rachel Pages-Oliver
Photography - Pieter Naessens
Roseberry Street >
South Perth
2014
This new three level home is located on a corner, narrow, sloping site at the east end of South Perth, Western Australia, and has sweeping panoramic views of the Swan River and Perth City, from Kings Park to the Darling Ranges.
The architectural response creates a house with strong connections between the internal and external spaces, and where each room takes advantage of the spectacular views. In contrast to traditional Australian suburban houses, this home wraps around a courtyard forming the main outdoor space. A gallery space links the two building forms. The basement contains the service spaces, with living and sleeping on the entry and upper levels.
To minimise energy consumption and environmental impact, the house incorporates passive systems and initiatives such as single zone planning, compartmentalisation and double-glazing, along with a considerable investment in active systems. As part of this commitment, photovoltaic collectors, rainwater harvesting, mechanical shading devices and a hybrid air-conditioning/ventilation system have been integrated into the home.
Our clients spent many years working and living in the north of Western Australia and felt a deep connection to the region, a place characterised by landscapes that are full of beauty - wide open spaces, rich colours and a sense of timelessness. It is these characterisitcs that we have tried to capture in the Roseberry Street House.
photography - Acorn Photo
Hillsden Road >
Darlington
2011
The site of this new split-level home on Hillsden Road in the Perth Hills suburb of Darlington presented particularly interesting design opportunities. The new house sits where once stood a small fibro cottage - the former gardener’s house and at one time the home of artist Hal Missingham. It wraps around granite outcrops and nestles within the existing garden. The two wings of the house are connected by a glass link that forms the main entry and provides glimpses to a large granite outcrop and the studio beyond.
The house has four bedrooms, each having framed views of the outside landscape. The main living areas of the house are located upstairs, inverting the traditional housing typology. These areas are filled with natural light and give a sense of being part of the surrounding landscape.
photography - Acorn Photo
Hubble Street >
East Fremantle
2005
When our clients purchased this 1898 random rubble limestone workers cottage situated in East Fremantle’s historic Plympton ward it had endured ad hoc alterations, additions and verandah enclosures in the 50s and early 70s. The cottage was stripped back to its original, three room configuration, utilising the existing rooms as a child’s bedroom, guest room and a playroom. The original entrance hall was maintained as the main access through a glazed link to the new living meals and kitchen areas. Laundry and bathroom areas were incorporated in the link and access an external service court to the south. Parents bedroom, robe and en-suite bathroom extend beyond to embrace the north eastern aspect of the rear yard. The addition clearly defines itself from the original building by its simple forms, contemporary materials and smooth textures, thereby paying respect to historical significance and preserving the integrity of the original cottage.
The project received a commendation in the 2006 Fremantle & East Fremantle Heritage Awards.
photography - Samuel Wright
