-
Gemma Savio, editor
Write to us at houses@archmedia.com.au
Subscribe at architecturemedia.com
Find us @housesmagazine
There’s something to be said for designing with a light touch. Rather than focusing on dramatic architectural “moments,” the houses in this issue take cues from found conditions – the character of a period home, the pattern of the streetscape or the beauty of the natural terrain.
At Balmain Rock by Benn and Penna (page 114), a historic sandstone cottage is enhanced by a contemporary addition that draws on the qualities of the original. With a similar sleight of hand, Nielsen Jenkins has added a seemingly simple outdoor room to K and T’s Place (page 40) in a way that protects the home from the bustling wider suburb.
This sympathetic approach extends to how homes are lived in. At North Melbourne House by NMBW Architecture Studio (cover, page 16), the design is deliberately open-ended. A flexible plan and finishes mean the owners can tailor their home to suit them.
These houses give a snapshot of how Australian architects and designers are resisting the urge to start from scratch and instead are creating vibrant, layered streetscapes and spaces that can be personalized, organically, over time.
02 Register now for the 2020 Houses Awards, our annual program celebrating Australia’s
best residential design. This year’s jury includes Barrie
Marshall (Denton Corker Marshall), James Russell (James Russell Architect), Poppy Taylor (Taylor and Hinds), Hannah Tribe (Tribe Studio) and Katelin Butler (Architecture Media). Pictured is the joint winner of the House Alteration and Addition over
200m2 category at the 2019 Houses Awards, Teneriffe House by Vokes and Peters.
Photograph: Christopher
Frederick Jones. housesawards.com.au
02
03 03 Explore what life is like in cities all over the world by simply stepping inside the National Gallery of Victoria’s Ian Potter Centre between 13 September 2019 and 2 February 2020. Civilization: The Way We Live
Now comprises more than 200 original photographs, organized according to themes that include “Alonetogether,” “Persuasion” and “Flow.” Together, the striking images reveal the complexity of urban life in the twenty-first century.
Photograph: Tom Ross. ngv.vic.gov.au
01 01 Check out the 2019 Big Design Market at Melbourne’s iconic Royal Exhibition Building (6–8 December). More than
250 Australian and international designers will be represented at this year’s Big Design Market, including ceramicists, artists, jewellers and more. Pictured are ceramics by Leaf and Thread. thebigdesignmarket.com