Australian architecture

 ASANA, a meticulously crafted residential haven, showcases intelligent design and thoughtful detailing while embracing cost-effective materials. Situated in the heart of Sydney's North Shore, this 200m2 sanctuary, spread across two levels, seamlessly integrates functional living with elegant aesthetics. Completed in 2021, this residential alteration and addition project epitomizes a harmonious blend of contemporary design and practicality. Every aspect, from the carefully selected materials to the deliberate spatial planning, exudes a sense of sophistication and refinement. The project's restrained yet impactful design language makes a compelling case for the judicious use of resources, demonstrating that exceptional design can be ach... More

Wallabies Watch whispers its presence, a subtle surrender to the landscape's embrace. The project's reductive approach creates a serene and tranquil atmosphere, allowing nature to take center stage. The exterior's dark, moody presence synchronizes with the shadows of the trees, while the interior's neutral backdrop emphasizes the lightness of being. The result is a symphony of contrasts, where the made and found converge in harmony. Wallabies Watch is a fleeting testament to the beauty of restraint, a haven for those seeking refuge from the tangible world. By stripping away the unnecessary, the project reveals its beauty, beckoning occupants to surrender to the tranquillity of the surroundings. Still Studio Still Studio Still S... More

This timber-framed house, designed as a second home for longstanding Sydney clients, complements their newly acquired vineyard at Main Ridge. Rooted in a 20-year relationship, the project is rich in personal connection and shared vision. Hands-on and deeply involved, the clients helped select finishes and contributed meaningfully throughout the process. Our collaboration began with the design of their primary residence in Portsea — a project that lingered in concept for years — and continued through a series of timber-framed sheds, platforms, and pergolas, which sparked their passion for timber. Jack Lovel They sought an authentic country residence with minimal site disturbance, located where an existing house once stood.... More

Havenwood began with a family gift: a block of land in a quiet Brighton cul-de-sac. What followed tested the project at every turn—planning disputes, a drawn-out VCAT process, the collapse of the original builder, and ultimately a complete rethink of the design. From these challenges emerged a light-filled home that reconsiders the suburban backyard, placing nature, community, and long-term living at the forefront of everyday life. Tess Kelly Tess Kelly The project initially proceeded under a design-and-build contract that met planning requirements but struggled to deliver a cohesive, livable outcome. Circulation was awkward, solar access was compromised, and the spatial clarity the family had hoped for was missing. As frus... More

Idyllically located in a Sunshine Coast hamlet wedged between nature reserves, Currimundi Lake and the surf beach, Veil + Co. House is a multigenerational co-living coastal residence. With an atypical entry and a deeply setback main dwelling, the project reinterprets traditional Queensland housing for contemporary living, showcasing flexible accommodation and high levels of privacy. Alanna Jayne McTiernan This new home needed to flexibly accommodate grandparents or Airbnb guests while also providing adaptable long term family living along with work-from-home requirements for both parents. Visual and acoustic privacy required particular attention to suit a multigenerational or shared accommodation arrangement with the clients’ yo... More

Rockin’ the suburbs. Forest Road House breaks the suburban cookie-cutter mould creating a lifestyle block oasis. The design explores the family’s love of native timbers and local materials while reflecting their values and living requirements, as the retired couple age in place with their daughter with special needs. Ben Hosking CONCEPT This home creates a self-contained retreat for the owners, reinforcing the notion of a bush garden property that attracted them to the then-rural area 40 years ago. Inspired by the work of Australian architects, particularly Glenn Murcutt’s work, the house references his approach to spatial layout, order of structure and clarity of intent. Local materials were used throughout, inclu... More

Built between 1910-1915 by the Sydney Harbour Trust the heritage listed Finger Wharf at Woollomoolo was a former wharf and passenger terminal. It narrowly escaped demolition in the late 1980’s due to public outcry and instead was renovated into a boutique hotel, apartments and hospitality precinct. Its heritage and cultural significance is diverse and anyone that lives or has spent any amount of time in Sydney knows it as a major landmark on the Harbour. Prue Ruscoe Prue Ruscoe These Wharf apartments were built in the late 1990’s - developer driven, the smaller apartments lacked any charm as was the case during this time when energy and funds were chanelled into the large, glamorous apartments. Fast forward to 2023 an... More

A significant alteration to a semi-detached house in Sydney's east for a family of sun chasers. Set high on a ridge behind a row of olive trees, two new double-height volumes clad in water struck bricks are nestled behind the front of the original house. Like the family the house was designed for, the house chases the light too, setting itself up to receive the colours that change through the day and the shadows the sun casts across surfaces both inside and out. The northernmost volume twists ever so slightly up and out to capture light and views across to the west and the north. The dragon scale brick pattern allows the western wall to twist and shift up and around to bring the master bedroom out across the rear of the house, creating a ca... More

Set on a dramatic clifftop site The Imperial Hotel Building at Clifton has sat neglected and boarded up following the collapse and closure of Lawrence Hargrave Drive some 15 years ago. With the road now open again with the opening of the Seacliff Bridge, Welsh + Major were engaged to design and document an iconic new hospitality venue that will serve as a catalyst for rejuvenation of the area. Clinton Weaver The heritage-listed building features restored balconies and rejuvenated internal spaces, accompanied by 2 new dining rooms, each with sweeping views up and down the coastline of the Illawarra Escarpment. Clinton Weaver Designed for locals and visitors alike, the project is a response to site, and of the original building&rs... More

Port Melbourne Secondary College (PMSC) is the first vertical school as part of Australia’s biggest urban rejuvenation project, Fishermans Bend. Designed by Billard Leece Partnership (BLP), the school is within a designated precinct for advanced technology, innovation, and education where over the next 30 years, 80,000 people will live, work and study. The development gives Port Melbourne a new, forward-thinking learning hub for students and the local community who have access to the library, gym, food technology and art spaces after hours. “To design truly healthy and inclusive learning environments for our children and their communities, BLP leveraged our combined experience in health and education to create a civic presence... More

Combining luxury with Nordic inspired design, the Verde Residences harmoniously transpire in one of Melbourne’s most sought-after inner-city suburbs.  Designed to encapsulate the idea of ‘home’, Verde was briefed on emphasising function, whilst maintaining organic flow… adapting to the requirements of the modern family. The deep feeling of home further accentuated through an expansive floorspace with northern aspect, bathing the interior in a brilliance of light.  Lyons photography Lyons photography Lyons photography Careful attention to detail is considered in the execution of the external Hit & Miss feature gable brickwork, strong clean lines and seamless termination points throughout... More

Few projects allow as much experimentation as an architect's own home, Connected House is no exception. Fifteen years ago architect/client, Albert Mo and his family moved into a 1950's mid-century home designed by Peter Mcintyre. For more than a decade they ruminated on design philosophes that would become the driving force behind the extension. The conceptual framework for the project balanced the restoration of architectural heritage with a new approach to outdoor connections and a growing floor plan to accommodate teenage children. The resulting home is as much about garden as it is about building, the daily ritual of living interacts with nature at all levels - from the cantilevered lounge room in the canopy of a mature elm, to the dini... More