Eco timber

YOUNA Nature Resort – our latest hospitality concept – consists of flexible treehouses immersed in the European Alpine Region. Spectrum Referencing the idea of ‘a treehouse without a tree’, the design imitates both the archetype gable roof of a traditional tree house and the proportion of the tree it sits on. This results in a vertical pitched structure encompassing spaces that are elevated from the ground on a shrunken footprint – just like the trunk of a tree. Spectrum The treehouses are wrapped in a timber exoskeleton that reinforces the structure while creating a modular interior build-up and layout. This allows for exceptional customization, including number of floors, outdoor/indoor spaces, an... More

The house has been designed according to the sustainable principles of biobased, ecological construction. In the design and construction of this house, we carefully looked at the orientation, the sun and the usual wind direction (for example, for the possibilities for night ventilation). The sun has a lot of influence on the shape and the layout. The house is constructed from a vapour permeable timber frame construction system, delivered on site as prefabricated elements. All the insulation materials above the ground are natural. Martijn Heil The plots are relative small in this project. The neighbouring home is relative close by and provide much shade in winter. The clients have therefore chosen not to create a roof overhang on... More

Lewisham House involved the full restoration of this classic Victorian Home to the highest level as a present-day, functional family home. The design process was a collaboration between RBA Architects and Sanders & King Interior designers.   The restoration and conversion of this unique Victorian house, involved a modern transformation of the dilapidated, heritage-listed house with an addition of a pool house/children’s room. We were to take it from a bygone Victorian era where the kitchen was the unseen, smallest element of the home and to create a contemporary environment for a family of 5, where the kitchen/living are the pivotal hub of the home.   The original home retained much of it’s prevailing layout, w... More

This simple addition at Della Torre has given this house in Ivanhoe a new street frontage. The operable louvre facade caps the open plan living area, and mediates the public / private engagement between the dinner table and the street.   The simple extruded form and repeated structure respond to the clients need, while offering an efficiently planned envelope to house the programmatic requirements. Sustainability is a key part of this design. The north facade is protected by a steel awning, which blocks out the summer sun while allowing the winter sun to stream in, while the operable aluminium louvres to the west facade keep out the harsh evening sun. The thermal mass of the exposed polished concrete floor regulates extremes in tempe... More

Fishley sits centrally within a run of early-Victorian terraces in inner urban Melbourne. On a 5m wide block, space and light were the main challenges. The rear of the block faces west and backs onto a lane. 3 bedrooms were retained on the first floor, and an existing bathroom and toilet combined to create a larger family bathroom. On the Ground Floor, the typical Victorian plan saw a hall and two rooms with a combined Kitchen Dining space to the rear. With a third child being born, space was very tight, and the introverted and dark spaces lacked any connection to the outdoors.   A key design tool was to open up the internal ground floor room but removing the hallway wall, and inserting a cranked beam to maximise the width of the blo... More

Luke Fry Architecture and Interior Design completed this new contemporary home which celebrates raw concrete and exposed brick, then layered with Japanese charred timber battens. It subtly references to Palm Springs mid-century modernism and contemporary pavilion structures, challenging the idea of a coastal home. The Torquay Beach House has large floor to ceiling glass doors opening out onto cantilevered concrete decks which take in the views. A brand-new home for a retiring couple which makes to most of the 180-degree uninterrupted views across nearby wetlands and sand dunes. Raw concrete floors, natural stone benches and light oak joinery adorn the interiors to creature a soft, neutral interior.Who are the clients and what's interesting... More

Newtown House delicately preserves an emotional connection to an existing house, while enhancing the house’s connection to its site. Originally belonging to one of the client’s parents, nostalgia and fondness for the old house needed to be considered when bringing the house up to the standards and requirements of modern life. With a spectacular view over the Barwon River valley and Newtown parklands, we felt that the 1960s house needed to amplify its engagement with its surrounding landscape.   Retaining the mid-century essence of the house was at the crux of the design and we sought to pay homage to its charm and quirks with any new interventions. Formally a modest house with some interesting mid-century detailing, such as the windows, fir... More