With October behind us, let’s take a look at the top 10 stories covered by Architecture & Design this month. Click on the title to read the full story, and let us know which ones were your favourites – or what else we should have covered.
The original building, designed by C.C. Sainsbury in 1957, is a gem. It is an unconventional example from the War Services program which helped veterans acquire homes. The clients sought to supplement what they loved to better accommodate their growing family.
Designed by Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects, Horizon House sits on a dramatic coastal headland that also serves as a working cattle farm. The property’s extraordinary horizon views were considered in every facet of its design to create a home that clearly interacts with its site.
Modern interventions throughout were designed to be recessive to the original. Towards the rear, a sensitive and compact extension was added, with a glazed link acting as a formal break and allowing the original exterior cladding to be restored and preserved internally.
An unconventional choice, the architects decided to design a sophisticated building for children. Indeed, the 114-child centre has traded in the traditional bright-coloured walls for natural and hard-wearing materials such as off-form concrete and plywood panels.
While the post office had been lived in for some time, it had barely been renovated and therefore retained its ‘boxy’ nature. It was also frustratingly disconnected from its beach environment. The brief was to turn the building into an open, airy beach house – on a budget.
This low-key Queenslander had suffered from being hacked around in previous lives – it was dark and closed off from the neighbourhood, with poor ventilation. Tim Bennetton Architects wanted to enhance the home’s relationship to the street by creating a new entry, as well as crafting a multi-purpose studio to the rear.
New research shows what might happen if a tsunami hit Sydney Harbour. A large tsunami could cause significant flooding in Manly. Even very small waves might result in dangerous currents in the entrance of the Harbour and in narrow channels such as at the Spit Bridge.
Surry Hills-based SJB and Studio Prineas’ design focuses on retaining the texture and culture of the heritage buildings at Surry Hills Village, while engaging nature in a modern architectural vision for a lively and connected precinct.
Carter Williamson was involved in the tutoring and judging of sustainable house designs and models produced by students at Burwood Girls High School as part of a STEM program. This relationship led to the installation of an Educational Model of GRID, Carter Williamson's pre-fabricated sustainable housing solution.
The H.I.V.E. x Five is built evidence that good design can successfully balance the often competing challenges associated with adaptive reuse, urban consolidation, and the creation of high amenity places to thrive in.
