ARCHITECTURE
Strong statements, authentic elements and attention to small gestures brand the imaginative projects by Richards & Spence.
Architects Ingrid Richards and Adrian Spence form the imaginative practice Richards & Spence.
IT IS BENEFICIAL sometimes not to observe architecture but to be in the thick of it, to watch how it is used, experienced and enjoyed. Such was the setting for my interview with architects Adrian Spence and Ingrid Richards, partners in Brisbane-based Richards & Spence. We have lunch at Hellenika restaurant, on the edge of The Calile Hotel’s much Instagrammed pool where a photoshoot is in progress with members of the Queensland Ballet in artfully drenched dresses. It is winter, but this is Brisbane. Indeed, the climate and the landscape play significant roles in how Richards & Spence approach their work, responding to the context and peculiarities of every commission. “I learned early in my career, through working with Timothy Hill, not to be too singleminded and hold onto an idea too tightly, but to embrace the circumstantial, the shifts and changes in a project, and see them as opportunities,” says Adrian.
Both studied architecture at the University of Queensland. “It was a distinctive way of teaching, and the gods were Alvar Aalto and Rudolph Schindler. We learned – even if you didn’t adopt the prevailing style – that there was always a place to start, a way to approach a project,” says Ingrid. Adrian points to their first large retail commission, 19 James Street in Fortitude Valley, where the client expressly warned them not to try to be award-winning – and where the existing mature palm trees became the driving idea.
Indeed, greenery is everywhere in their work, trailing building fronts, surrounding the hotel pool, potted in the restaurant and spilling from balconies. “Plants grow well here and we love how they ground a project,” says Adrian. “The fig trees in the street are 20 years old but look 100.” Developing an instant sense of place has been crucial in the creation of the upmarket precinct in and around The Calile Hotel. What was once a series of cheaply built, tilt-up showrooms and carparks now has the vibe of LA’s Melrose Place or Bal Harbour in Miami. This is generated by the restricted materials palette of white brick and concrete, which imparts a sense of durability and embeds the ability to age gracefully. “Charm comes from the gradual wear of authentic materials,” says Ingrid.
Richards & Spence seize opportunities to design moments that they describe as facilitating “circumstantial social interaction”. These can be a small gesture such as a seat in a shop window to pause, a laneway or heritage in-fill space, a shaded colonnade with concrete seating, or a marble structure to sit and eat your Messina gelato. This interest in better civic outcomes is illustrated by the town square on private land they have designed, adjacent to The Calile, that is completely unlike the council’s prescribed streetscape.
Taking on the design of retail spaces was a start-up strategy for the emerging practice that launched in 2008, just as the GFC struck. As their reputation has grown, the confidence they exercise in these spaces has expanded. The Living Edge showroom is defined by the deep, stepped concrete wall designed to display chairs while the bijou Museum of Small Things (known as M.O.S.T.) has an interior entirely clad in rich green marble. Strong statements in singular materials are used to denote a certain luxury and mix materials with confidence such as the cork, tile and stone in The Calile bedrooms. In stark contrast, and illustrating the breadth of their thinking, they designed and built the Wests Bulldogs Rugby Union stadium in record time – its defining brick arches, referencing the Coliseum, impart a very economical building with a level of grandeur.
With the emphasis on commercial spaces, I ask about their approach to residential as they are in the final stages of completing their own house. “It is on the cusp of the business centre so we wanted to design something that can have a number of uses – one that isn’t fixed solely in the residential space and supports our idea of passive sustainability,” explains Adrian who says the couple has been living on site for 18 months as building continues around them. At present their office of seven people also works there in a large, street-facing room, illustrating the blurring of lines in how the space is used. It is a gobsmackingly beautiful concrete structure with a pool and garden at its heart, city views and sweeping spaces that make the spirit soar. When it is finished it will be one of Australia’s most interesting contemporary houses.
From their Brisbane base, Richards & Spence are making their mark and are keen to contribute to their city’s future history with buildings that add value beyond their location. They are collaborating with large practices, both locally and interstate, and travelling, with a trip to Beirut on the cards. “Someone said The Calile reminded them of Beirut in the 70s, so we will be able to see for ourselves,” says Adrian.