Wilga | Archbuild

Wilga harmoniously nestles within the embrace of nature, adorned with protected Sydney Blue Gumtrees. Confronted by dual challenges of safeguarding these giants and accommodating an old sewer main, the architect orchestrated a symphony of collaboration. This choreography involved structural and hydraulic engineers, Sydney Water Authority, and trusted consultants. The design seamlessly incorporates functionality and aesthetics while prioritizing the preservation of the native flora. Wilga is a haven that exudes a meditative ambiance, intertwining luxurious living with the serene presence of the Blue Gumtrees. This architectural gem not only enhances the client’s daily life but stands as a sustainable marvel, symbolizing a holistic approach to design, environment, and preservation.

39S House | Andrew Noonan Architect

The desire for innercity living inspired the owners to buy a severely dilapidated Victorian era timber workers cottage on a 240sqm block the western the edge of Brisbane’s CBD as their family home. The poor condition of the cottage prompted the question: How a 19th Century workers cottage be adapted for contemporary family living while being resilient to the challenges we face in the 21st century? The aim was to be an example of a strongly context driven, net zero adaptive reuse home. Proving that resource efficiency needn’t cost more, nor compromise living quality, while creating lasting value and a home that is significantly cheaper to run.

Barton Street Residence | Chalmers Partners Architects

With a growing family, the need for space led to a transformation into an inward facing courtyard house. Inspired by a connection to Japan, the design sought to blend Japanese tradition with practicality. While Brisbane differs greatly from Tokyo, the idea of an insular sanctuary resonated, emphasizing control within one’s property. The house creatively integrates traditional Japanese elements like roofs, shoji screens, tatami, and engawa, adapting them to subtropical living. Despite limited frontage, the design features an internal deck and lower courtyard. The interplay of light, spatial transitions, and visual connections, reminiscent of shoji and fusama, defines the architecture. The use of brick replicates the textural experience of tatami, showcasing clever integration with sub-tropical Queensland architecture. The project successfully delivers a bespoke solution aligned with the family’s evolving needs.

Good Samaritan College, Polding Place | Speculative Architecture and Brammer Architects, architects in association

With a focus upon student wellbeing and community engagement, Polding Place at Good Samaritan College Toowoomba contains classrooms, Food Technology teaching spaces with a commercial kitchen, Cafe, and a Design Technology workshop. Each space is naturally ventilated with good access to breezes and controlled daylight. Outdoor learning spaces are located adjacent to traditional teaching spaces and are flexible for social activities. Materials and niches have been selected that are robust, with low maintenance, while providing continuity with the existing campus buildings to reinforce the identity and history of the College.

The main social space of the College is revitalised by the new building framing, and providing an active social edge to, a central courtyard. Integrated planting, through vines and shade trees, mediate the outdoor spaces to provide cool and social landscapes to be enjoyed.

Maryborough Forge and Advanced Manufacturing Facility | KIRK

The Maryborough Forge and Advanced Manufacturing Facility is a proprietary, highly functional design that protects and enhances the technically complex production process within the manufacturing warehouse. The constrained site of this advanced manufacturing facility in rural Queensland was poised to access an existing specialised heavy engineering skilled workforce. Along with a highly technical and advanced warehouse, the entire environment needed to be enticing to skilled workers who would spend most their day in such a remote location. A key component of our strategy was to establish an office that stands as a biophilic retreat from the demanding manufacturing processes. With Hyne Timbers (Xlam) operating just 250m down the road, it was a natural choice to use locally produced Mass Engineered Timber (MET) from Australian softwood plantations. We see this exciting project as part of the evolution in a new typology in industrial and warehousing MET projects.

Moffat Beach House | KIRK

Moffat Beach House sits on a constrained site in the sub-tropical coastal climate of the Sunshine Coast. It is the first CLT (cross laminated timber) house to be constructed in Queensland using prefabricated Mass Engineered Timber construction and erected in just seven days. All the timber used for the construction has been sourced sustainably, grown from regenerated forests, and fabricated locally within Australia. The CLT and GLT (glulam timber) used in the project regenerated from the Australian softwood plantations in only eight minutes. The beach house that previously sat proud in its place is referenced throughout the project’s form, scale, and material palette, providing an outcome that is respectful of the local neighbourhood character. Each design element was carefully considered with the clients to achieve a residence that is a sustainable upgrade, while honouring the beachside neighbourhood aesthetic.

Rivière | Bates Smart

Rivière adds a striking presence to its clifftop location in Brisbane’s Kangaroo Point. The sawtooth tower references the natural faceted forms of the neighbourhood’s cliffs. Along with an alternating pattern of outboard living spaces and balconies, the form opens up views of the river, Botanic Gardens and the city’s rapidly changing skyline.

The tower’s unique façade combines board marked concrete, breezeblock, and glazed brick. Apartments are planned to maximise spatial efficiency, views, natural light and cool summer breezes. Native planting weaves through the entire building, starting at the entry and culminating on the impressive communal rooftop, making Rivière feel like an oasis within its urban context.

Interiors are refined and elegant with resort-like amenities. The spacious lobby doubles as a social meeting place and flexible workspace. A gym, pool, theatre room and wine room mean residents won’t need to leave home when they want to work out, relax or entertain.

Talgai Homestead Ram Stud Shed | KIRK

The Talgai Ram Stud Shed was an underutilised structure on a property that gets high use. Talgai is a fully operational farm, where they also host gatherings and events. Rather than building an entirely new structure for their use, the client wanted to reengage with the heritage structure already onsite. This is a more sustainable approach with the revitalisation of a largely unused structure on the property.

The Talgai Homestead and Ram Stud Shed, being an important heritage site, the project was required to adhere to strict guidelines within the Queensland State heritage register. KIRK acknowledged that new fit out materials and fittings should be ‘of our time’ and of good quality. The onsite team had to be cautious and sensitive towards original and early fabric of the building.

Upper House | Koichi Takada Architects

Upper House is a dynamic, residential high-rise that contributes to the Brisbane skyline in a way that captures the city’s spirit and showcases the distinctive beauty of Brisbane’s tropical landscape. It signals a new era in urban design, where connection to nature, quality design, resident wellbeing and environmental sustainability align.

Visually, ‘architectural roots’, inspired by the native Moreton Bay Fig tree, take us on a journey from Australia’s ancient past at its base in the form of a five Storey indigenous artwork by Judy Watson up to the future of vertical living, where wellbeing and nature are incorporated into high-rise living.

Upper House is an opportunity to encourage dialogue about the past and to reflect on the present. Koichi Takada Architects’ belief is that respect for people and planet should be the building blocks of our future.

Verandah Terraces | Phorm architecture + design

Verandah Terraces is a residential building intended specifically to reflect upon Brisbane’s identity, a bridge between its past and future. Verandahs are a specific cultural territory which we, as a Practice, advocate as the appropriate ‘platform for living’ in our Subtropical City.

Verandahs were the local adaptations, introduced to temper the climate and protect the Georgian core of early colonial buildings. Verandahs are now appreciated as liminal spaces, mediating the contrasting conditions of exterior and interior, their interface with the elements creating a poetic and particular experience of place.

Our strategy has been to utilise the existing internal rooms of the cottage as the required ‘interiors’ to the brief and introduce a counterpoint of open living platforms or ‘terraces’ to the Site. There is an immediacy to the structural legibility of the recycled hardwood timber frame and expressed tectonics. A build that demonstrates and celebrates its own making and crafting.