Sustainable timber

Located in the Inner suburb of Ivanhoe, sits a seemingly calm, unassuming modern suburban home in its moat of sand.  The house is a clever orchestration of balancing tension that has created wondrous moments throughout.   The house can be read as a conversation of dualities, of heavy and lightness, public and private and of light and darkness.  The first expression of this tension can be seen from street façade, essentially two forms bifurcated by a double height black void, which forms a grand recessive entry.  On the one side we have a solid, rigid, rectilinear form, seeming weighed down by its own mass.  On the other, elevated from the earth by a shard of black glass, symbolic of emptiness or absence. &... More

This six-lane competition pool was superbly designed by Hawkins Brown, the state of the art sustainable timber construction replaced the fire struck former building on site. The construction of the pool was led by fit out contractor Gilbert- Ash who utilised timber materials that provided an efficient, fast and carbon neutral construction to both the structure and internal finishes. The timber construction had several challenges of the swimming pool environment. The Laudescher LINEA 2.4.3 (aw-0.90, Absorption Class-A, NRC–0.90) manufactured for its properties to not swell, absorb or mutate. Using the high quality acoustic properties Laudescher beings that absorbs the reflective sounds that will promote greater communication in the swi... More

This holiday home has recently been extensively renovated, including a new deck in Vulcan timber decking by Abodo. Vulcan Decking was chosen as a local sustainable timber decking option that will perform the test of time. The timber is harvested from FSC® certified, rapidly renewable pine plantations, located locally in the greater Rotorua region.  Read more about this project here. More

A new home for a retiring couple, the project replaces a dilapidated cedar cabin on hardwood stilts which the family had owned for a number of years. The aspiration of the project was to provide both a primary residence for the client and a holiday home for their grown children and families which frequently visit. The dwelling provides a living environment protected from the prevailing weather while celebrating the visual aspects of the coastal landscape. View, shelter and the performance of the building became considerations that formed the architectural response. Space can be closed down or opened up depending on the demands of the family.Nestled within swaths of Moonah within 100 meters from 13th Beach, experience of place is determined... More

Nestled into a tranquil coastal landscape, the elegant existing three-bedroom house required rejuvenation, updated amenity and an extension to meet the needs of its new owners, while retaining the spirit of the house they fell in love with. The renovation of the house, originally designed by Architect Hugh Tuffley, called for a sensitive touch, as it was imperative to create a design response that resulted in a unified built form.   To achieve this the original colour and material palette was used and built upon, while form and details, taking their cues from the existing building, were given a contemporary twist. Despite its incredible setting, the existing building did not take full advantage of its lush surrounds; therefore the new areas... More

Cullinan Studio has completed a playfully creative, light-filled cross-laminated timber (CLT) and brick new-build family home in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. The busy family, which includes two boys, two dogs and visiting grandparents with increasingly limited mobility, had been struggling in a flimsy, badly insulated, dark and inaccessible house with a poorly designed extension, which created a barrier to their much-loved garden. In redeveloping the site, the client had considered timber kit houses to maximise efficiency and reduce waste, and was committed to a sustainable timber home. Cullinan Studio offered a bespoke solution which met the sustainability criteria of a kit house, and ensured it was tailored to the family so that they can pl... More

Blueys Beach is a popular holiday destination, on the Mid North Coast of NSW.The original houses in this coastal village are simple fibro or weatherboard structures. They are weather beaten and basic, yet they generally offer a relaxing beach holiday experience. Unfortunately, when properties change hands, original buildings are often replaced by large suburban houses, which have little recognition of place and relate poorly to the immediate context.This house was designed on an empty but narrow (12m x 42m) block. The site slopes gently down to the rear, and there are established houses on neighboring blocks.The client’s brief was for a simple holiday house that created it’s own amenity on the site. It must not be ostentatious and must fit... More

Park Brederode in the Dutch city Bloemendaal is part of the protected North Holland dune landscape and is a unique living location. At the heart of this beautiful landscape, Paul de Ruiter Architects designed a sustainable villa provided with every luxury and comfort.From the very start it was clear that the landscape around the villa should be preserved as much as possible. We created a large basement and semi-positioned the ground floor in the slope of the hill. The first floor towers above the partially glazed ground floor and the undulating dune landscape. Both the north and south façades of the first floor are largely made of glass, while the east and west façades have a more closed character. The closed façade areas on the first floor... More