River View House | Studio Heim

River View House, a long linear design, takes advantage of expansive views to the Molonglo River corridor and across to the Arboretum. Unlike its neighbours, who demand attention through excessiveness and scale, the house is quiet and humble through it’s low–line single storey form made from neutral earthy materials.
The form comprises a simple skillion roof which kicks up to the north to take in winter sun to warm the house. Shading devices protect it from the summer sun. Brickwork and textured pre coloured fc cladding have been used as a response to a client request for low maintenance.
River View House is subtle and subdued in an area that has been built up to the boundaries. Its connection to site, thoughtful planning, and practical design following simplistic principles, is a testament to the fact that even in later stages of life, one can still have the great Australian dream.

Oska’s House | Light House Architecture and Science

Oska’s House embodies the essence of its Canberra neighborhood’s evolution, drawing inspiration from the original red brick ex-government home and the surrounding streetscape. Designed with principles of flexibility, accessibility, and solar passive design, it seamlessly integrates into the neighborhood while offering modern comforts. With a modest scale reminiscent of older homes in the area, it features recycled red bricks from the original structure and modern touches like a skillion roof and mini-orb metal cladding. The layout prioritizes connection to a productive garden and includes adaptable spaces for guests or working from home. Collaboration with landscape designer and scientific modeling ensures sustainability and usability. Achieving an impressive 8.1 star energy rating, Oska’s House exemplifies efficient, thoughtful design within budget constraints, providing a comfortable, future-proof home for its residents.

Narrabundah House | Open Principle Architects

OPA were approach to help rejuvenate an aging red brick cottage. The client purchased the house on the merits of its small scale cottage like feel, from physical scale, assumed heritage value, materiality and feel.
The brief was to provide a new small living and dining extension as well as full interior architecture refit. The brief was established around an architecture which responds to the historical changes the house as a typology. An internal reorganisation sees the services areas such as bathrooms and laundry shuffle and morph to create the addition of a ensuite and a legible planning logic.
The creation of additional storage though joinery allows the rooms to be left to breathe without the need for clumsy storage items cluttering the space. A subtle re–alignment of the front door is all that may be noted as this project sought to maintain the historical and worthy original building frontage.

Mid Century Remastered | Equinox Architecture (company registration pending)

This mid-century residence, initially designed by Ken Woolley and Pettit & Sevitt architects in 1965, undergoes a transformative and considered renovation. The architects embrace a conceptual framework focused on sympathetic and respectful design and adaptive re–use, all underpinned by environmentally sustainable principles. The approach respects the original mid–century design, seamlessly blending old and new elements, while incorporating environmentally sustainable design (ESD) principles. The project not only safeguards the architectural heritage of Hughes but also contributes to community pride and identity.

The design cleverly integrates the existing structure, utilizing flitch beams for the structural spans, balancing aesthetics and functionality. This collaborative design effort involves diverse disciplines, fostering creativity and delivering cost–effective solutions. The adaptive re–use strategy, combined with sustainable practices, results in financial value for the client and reducing the project’s carbon footprint. The renovation not only preserves architectural history but enhances the cultural vibrancy and aesthetic richness of the public domain.

Mellow Yellow House and Cottage | Philip Leeson Architects and Sarah Truscott Architect

Mellow Yellow House and Cottage, a two–stage project by Philip Leeson Architects and Sarah Truscott Architect is a synthesis of sustainability, functionality, and intergenerational living. The addition seamlessly integrates renewable energy and passive design in a quiet sanctuary for the owners, whilst the later upgrade to the original cottage blends modern aesthetics with the original form. Both stages cater to specific family needs, accommodating elderly parents and anticipating future arrangements for a carer and the owner’s son with autism.

These projects significantly contribute to the public domain; the solar–centric addition exemplifies sustainable living without compromising aesthetics, while the cottage preserves the streetscape with minor contemporary additions. Thoughtful design choices optimise solar exposure and enhance liveability, reflecting the collaborative efforts of the multidisciplinary team.

Mellow Yellow House and Cottage, beyond any architectural merit, fosters deep connections between architects and owners, and creates a flexible living environment resonating with community spirit.

Maggie’s House | Light House Architecture and Science

Maggie’s House is the stunning transformation of an original red brick, Plan 404, ex–government home with a 1990s split level extension. The result of a carefully integrated architecture and science process By Light House is a energy and space efficient family home that is now climate resilient and takes full advantage of a leafy northerly outlook over the surrounding neighbourhood and parkland while also connecting beautifully to private garden areas to the rear.

Key principles behind this project:
•Flexibility and adaptability – the home needed to be suitable for a growing family and to host regular visiting family and friends
•Connection with the existing well–established gardens and the neighbourhood
•Climate resilience and solar passive design
Renovation rather than knockdown rebuild
•Simplicity and a sympathetic streetscape reflective of the original neighbouring homes

LESS | Pezo Von Ellrichshausen, Oculus, and Molonglo

LESS is a recently completed and evolving work at Dairy Road in Canberra.

LESS is an intentionally ambiguous structure that contributes to the evolving social landscape at Dairy Road an emerging neighbourhood wedged between the Jerrabomberra Wetlands and the industrial suburb of Fyshwick.

LESS is a non–deterministic landmark and non–transactional gathering place. It invites the community to interact with and occupy its spaces as they see fit.

Part public art work, part public space, LESS consists of 36 concrete columns, a circular ramp that leads to a viewing platform and a native garden. A continuous and shallow stream runs through and down the structure’s columns, pooling, running and returning.

The garden features 8,500 individual plants, made up of 50 species local to the Canberra region. It is a dry bush landscape that subtly changes with the Ngunnawal seasons. Slowly the garden is becoming more immersive and equal to the structure.

Ledgar Rise | Studio Architecture + Interiors

Ledgar Rise exudes sophistication and warmth in its clean and elegant design. The house seamlessly integrates with its natural surroundings, boasting robust materials and a carefully chosen colour palette that blend effortlessly with the adjacent nature reserve. Inside, timber ceilings and feature brickwork guide visitors through a spatial sequence that encourages organic flow.

With high ceilings and abundant natural light, the home achieves a sense of space while maintaining thermal comfort through strategic orientation and ventilation. Despite its modest size, Ledgar Rise offers versatile spaces designed for multipurpose use and adaptable utilization, fostering integration with its surroundings.

From breathtaking views of the hills to the serene retreat of the master bedroom, every aspect of the design emphasizes harmony with nature. Ledgar Rise sets a modern standard for family homes, embodying thoughtful design, sustainable living, and harmonious integration with nature, providing residents with a sanctuary to thrive.

Kashmir Apartments – SOHO | Stewart Architecture

The SOHO precinct is a mixed–use village fronting the Northbourne Avenue corridor in the heart of Canberra. Kashmir is one of a sequence of buildings in the precinct that form the gateway streetscape to Canberra’s city centre. The buildings are designed to contribute and connect to the community at various scales – building, precinct, and city.

Kashmir contributes to the city’s vision for an active and connected mixed–use avenue by providing a variety of dwelling arrangements that contribute to its long–term vitality. The site includes the Northbourne Housing Group’s Bedsitter Flats (Ancher, Mortlock and Murray for the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC), 1959) which has a distinct visual language and is one of the earliest medium–density housing examples in Canberra. Kashmir is designed and sited in recognition of this heritage building that sits in the foreground, fronting the avenue and defining the ground plane.

Kampung Batu Bigga (Rocky Knoll Shelter) | Philip Leeson Architects and Sarah Truscott Architect

Located in a rural setting south of Canberra, Kampung Batu Bigga is a meticulously crafted rammed earth sanctuary, a joint vision between architect and outdoors enthusiast owner. Grounded in a profound love for the bush, this residence seamlessly integrates with its scenic surroundings, reminiscent of a bushwalking hut. The intentional modesty of the home’s footprint encompasses compact private spaces, with a shared living space under the distinctive roof form.

The design pays homage to Australia’s bush construction history with rammed earth and Zincalume cladding, and it carefully wraps the contours, with a wing–like roof extending to shelter outdoor spaces. Sandstone ‘wind’ walls protect against prevailing winds; and sustainability is embodied throughout with onsite harvesting of rainwater, energy and waste processing. From the outdoor kitchen to serene internal spaces, Kampung Batu Bigga harmonises architecture and occupants with nature, exemplifying a thoughtful blend of design, sustainability, and connection to the Australian bush.