Table of contents for Issue 136 October 2020 in Houses

While separated by distance and designing in response to the myriad places we dwell in, Australian architects and designers are reimagining our homes with a shared, tangible thread that transcends boundaries. From weighty east coast havens like Highgate Park House by Vokes and Peters (cover, page 26) to the clever and cost-effective precast concrete North Perth House by Nic Brunsdon (page 34), as far south as Hobart and as north as Minjerribah, the homes in this issue display a shared sensibility – a palpable joy both in the making and the expression of a creative architectural venture. This sense of generosity, eclecticism and vitality is embodied in the built fabric of our cities and suburbs, and it’s here we can truly feel the collective exuberance that results from creating spaces…

An ethereal moon-like lamp, chairs inspired by the French Riviera and sculptural fireplaces – this suite of outdoor products beckons us outside to bask in the welcome warmth that comes with spring. Find more residential products: selector.com and productnews.com.au 01 Cesta outdoor floor cushions Available in a range of natural hues, including ‘Sea’ and ‘Smoke,’ the Cesta outdoor floor cushions from Sien and Co are made from Sunbrella performance fabric, making them durable, “wine-proof” and worry-free – the ideal accompaniment to an outdoor setting. sienandco.com 02 Rambler 84 picnic table Merging architectural forms with industrial craft, the Rambler 84 picnic table by Philadelphia-based design studio Shiftspace is a modern interpretation of the classic tables that dot parklands. It offers an intimate yet informal place to unwind and share a meal. shiftmakes.com…

In recent years Brisbane has experienced a healthy surge in its number of young, independent practitioners of architecture. Many of these practitioners have taken a linear path to practice, becoming successful progenies of the city’s well-established architects. Others, such as Joel Alcorn and Chloe Middleton, have followed a less conventional route. Since graduating with their Masters of Architecture from Queensland University of Technology in 2012, Joel and Chloe have independently pursued several ambitious international projects, including a resort in the Philippines and a house extension in Spain. Following the completion of a practice-defining Brisbane project, Peakaboo House, the pair established Alcorn Middleton Architecture Office in 2019. Peakaboo House embodies an architectural philosophy that Joel and Chloe describe as “polite and radical at the same time.” While it is not unusual…

The seed for Swarf was sown a few years back when Kate Worthington worked for a number of leading interior design titles. “I was exposed to different products on a daily basis,” says the former editor and graduate of the London College of Communication. “And the fact [that] I was trying to find something for my pages that didn’t exist was what gave me the idea.” So Kate and her partner Sam Fish, a metalwork artist who studied fine arts at Chelsea College of Arts, established the door hardware studio in 2018 with a view to producing high-quality and affordable products. Based in Essex, northeast of London, the couple design their families of door handles from Sam’s small workshop, where each item is manufactured using a 1960s Colchester lathe. The…

The expansion of Hobart was facilitated in part by the tram network established in the Tasmanian city during the 1890s. The arrival of the network and the city’s burgeoning population saw clusters of modest brick and timber cottages built in the suburb of North Hobart, a hilly area that benefitted from increased accessibility. More than 100 years later, architect Shamus Mulcahy purchased one of these worker’s cottages: a modest one-storey, single-fronted, co-joined house that had been typical of the area before the slum clearance program of the 1950s wiped out so many others like it. Living in the house for 15 years, Shamus came to understand the flexibility of the simple cottage format. He initially shared the place with two schoolmates before it became his first home with his partner…

Tom Ross Photographer Tom Ross is a photographer from coastal Victoria with a studio in Melbourne. Trained at the Victorian College of the Arts, and Massachusetts College of Art, he works with architects and storytellers, and has been published internationally. Sing d’Arcy Writer Sing d’Arcy is a senior lecturer in the interior architecture program at the University of New South Wales. Sing has published in the areas of architectural and design history, and the history of Sydney interiors. Hayley Curnow Writer Hayley is a Melbourne-based interior designer and writer with a contemplative approach to architecture and design. She has a background in academia, interiors, exhibition and installation design and is a contributor to a range of design publications. Adam Gibson Photographer Adam combines careful composition with light-footed spontaneity to uncover…

For someone who only graduated from Jam Factory’s Associate Program four years ago, Dean Toepfer has made quite an impact. The Adelaide-based furniture and lighting designer’s elegantly modern portfolio is nothing short of impressive in both functionality and form. “I like to create objects that are intriguing and tactile,” says Dean, who also holds an associate degree in design from Melbourne’s RMIT University. “And my main objective is to design pieces that elicit emotional connections with the environments in which we live and work.” It was Dean’s background in the fashion industry, where he specialized in sales, range development and product management, that platformed his current practice, which is located out of the Jam Factory studios. This invaluable experience in fashion taught him the importance of good composition, sound construction…

Eastop Architects is a Melbourne-based practice led by architects Liam Eastop and Lauren Trainor, established in 2017. Despite the studio’s youth, it has produced in Elm Tree Place a work of considerable maturity, nuance and, literally and figuratively, reflection. Elm Tree Place is a residence that converts an early adaptation project by celebrated architect Nonda Katsalidis, the Deutscher Fine Art Gallery in Carlton, Melbourne. Katsalidis’s project, completed in the 1980s, was a gallery space built at the rear of a Victorian terrace and Eastop Architects’ work splits that commercial property into two private dwellings. Stepping into such fertile terrain could have elicited a range of responses that either stepped away from the precedent entirely or paid overt reverence to what has gone before. Eastop Architects has taken a third way,…

A chair fashioned entirely from recycled materials, soft rose-hued lighting and playfully innovative wares for your home office – these are products to bring about daily moments of joy. Find more residential products: selector.com and productnews.com.au 01 Magis Bell chair Designed by Konstantin Grcic for Magis, the stackable Bell chair is made from recycled polypropylene obtained from the waste generated by Magis’s own furniture production and the local car industry. It is available in three versatile colours, including ‘Sunrise’ (pictured). bell-chair.com 02 Absolutegloss cabinetry panels Laminex has launched a new range of cabinetry panels that offer a durable yet luxurious high-gloss finish. The Absolutegloss panels are available in a selection of six contemporary neutral hues, from ‘Polar White’ (pictured) through to ‘Black’ and ‘Oyster Grey.’ laminex.com.au 03 Sengu modular sofa The…

Roofing: Lysaght Custom Orb corrugated roofing in Zincalume steel External walls: Brick in Dulux ‘Whisper White’ paint finish; timber in Dulux ‘Dark Door’ paint finish Internal walls: Walls in Dulux ‘Whisper White’ and ‘Dark Door’ paint finishes Doors and windows: Dulux ‘Whisper White’ and ‘Dark Door’ paint finishes; Skydome skylight Flooring: Blackbutt timber strip flooring; Eco Outdoor Crazy Paving in ‘Porphyry’ and ‘Endicott’ Lighting: George Nelson Bubble Pear pendant; Serge Mouille Antony wall lights; Artemide Dioscuri wall lights; Arteriors Home Jed pendant Kitchen: Artedomus Marmi Taxos porcelain benchtops; SNB Stone Ciel Blanc natural stone; 2-pac joinery fronts in Dulux ‘Dark Door’; Gessi Oxygene gooseneck sink mixer Bathroom: Parisi Twinset 425 basin; Roca Inspira Round Vessel basin from Reece; Caroma Luna Wall-faced toilet suite; Astra Walker Icon tapware; Complete Tiles glazed…

Josh Harris How was it that two generations of your family decided to live as neighbours? Anna My partner and I had lived in the area for about five years, from around 2010, and we wanted to continue to live in the area. But we couldn’t really afford a block of land by ourselves. So we decided to buy a block of land with my parents and build two townhouses. We came together, the four of us; my parents were downsizing from a big five-bedroom house [nearby], and we were looking to build our family home. So we were building these two side-by-side houses that were meeting very different needs for two different styles of families. JH So it really worked out well for both generations. A Yeah, we’ve essentially…

01 Container Atlas: A Practical Guide to Container Architecture edited by Han Slawik et al. (Gestalten, new edition published in 2020) A decade after Gestalten published the first edition of Container Atlas, our fascination with shipping container architecture has not subsided. While some architects have decried their use – pointing to the awkward dimensions that can make for barely habitable spaces – the pull of the ready-made, structurally sound containers remains, and architects continue to show their flexibility through remarkable, creative designs. This new edition features 20 new projects from around the world. House 28 by Studio Edwards in Wye River, Victoria is a visually arresting weekend getaway formed of three 20-foot shipping containers clad in galvanized steel sheeting on the outside and warm plywood on the inside. The book's…

Find more residential products: selector.com and productnews.com.au 01 Blindspace hidden blind system Blindspace is a unique means of concealing any type of blind in ceilings and skylights. The panels, which can be seamlessly integrated with painted ceiling finishes, simply click open and shut for access, leaving a discreet slot for the blind’s movement. shadefactor.com.au 02 Cloud Pull Handle Designed by Durbach Block Jaggers Architects and crafted by Crawford’s Casting in Sydney, the Cloud Pull Handle is equally elegant and functional. The solid brass handle’s soft curvilinear form appears to hover away from the door’s surface, making space for an easy grip. durbachblockjaggers.com 03 Tailor Made curtain range Characterized by state-of-the-art weaving technology and multidimensional colours, Tailor Made by Kinnasand explores the concept of fine tailoring applied to interiors. There are 25…

Irish designer and architect Eileen Gray (1878–1976) was a pioneering figure in modern design and architecture and was one of the few women to practice professionally in the fields before World War II. A retrospective exhibition at the Bard Graduate Center in New York, organized by Paris-based Centre Pompidou in collaboration with the Bard, presented new discoveries from archival research into Gray’s oeuvre. Unfortunately, less than one month after the exhibition opened, the gallery was forced to shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, the Bard developed an excellent microsite that digitally extended the exhibition. A catalogue added scholarly heft, charting the trajectory of Gray’s career and citing case studies (42 decorative arts and design projects and 47 architecture projects). More than two hundred exhibits included drawings and…