Wind down from a day at the office and enjoy an evening stroll, learning about architecture in Sydneys central business district. On Wednesday 23 October, experience the city as it’s wreathed in the glow of twilight.

Over the 90 minute tour your AAA trained tour guide will walk you through the development of Sydney and the evolution of skyscrapers which define the Sydney skyline.

We examine many of the buildings in the Central Business District and trace the development of modernism and the high rise tower. 

From Harry Seidler's iconic Australia Square tower that dominated the cityscape in the late 60's to more recent additions such as Sir Norman Foster's Deutsche Bank and 1 Bligh Street, a 6 Green Star rated office building, the highest rating that can be achieved in Australia under the Green Building Council of Australia's measurement standards for a sustainable building are just some of the buildings you will be visiting.

As we walk, many of these Sydney icons start to put on their night-time glittering look and you will find out how much lighting can beautify the city at night!

TOUR DETAILS:

Meeting Point: Entrance to Customs House, 31 Alfred Street, Circular Quay NSW 2000
Date: Wednesday 23 October 2019
Time: 6.00pm - 7.30pm
Tickets: $30 (Public) / $25 (Concession) / Free (AAA Members)

Numbers are limited. Click here - to secure your place on the tour.

• Image 1: Sydney City Skyline (Photographer: Vincent Lam)
• Image 2: Australia Square Tower, designed by Harry Seidler (Photographer: Vanessa Couzens)

This month @home visits Kent House, designed by Studio Schelp. Meet architect Manuelle Schelp and experience how the alterations and additions to this terrace home have updated its facilities to better meet the needs of a 21st century lifestyle.

Part of a group of three terraces and located on a narrow block sloping down southwards from the street, the existing house has its major rooms addressing the street, while the ancillary functions are relegated to the back.

The concept was to strip back the existing building to its main core and add a new rear pavilion with internal courtyard to provide northern sun and day light access and cross ventilation to the centre of the new floor plate. Exposed steel portal frames, clad with metal sheeting, defines the shell of the new pavilion.

Internally, a timber shaped structure ‘wanders’ through the double height volume to form the various spaces and their built-in joinery; the kitchen / dining at lower ground, and the living at ground floor.

ABOUT STUDIO SCHELP

Manuelle Schelp is a registered architect in both Switzerland and Australia. She founded her Darlinghurst architecture and interior design practice - Studio Schelp, in 2007.

Studio Schelp delivers design services including concept design, design development, development application, construction documentation, tender, contract administration and services during construction.

Her portfolio of projects is focused predominately in residential design, ranging from single houses to large scale apartment buildings. She has also worked on office, commercial and community projects.

TOUR DETAILS

Location: Waverly, NSW
Please note that the address and meeting point will only be forwarded to ticket holders in the days immediately before the tour.
Time: 11.00am - 12.00pm
Date: Sunday 27 October 2019
Tickets: $35 (Early Bird) / $45 (Public) / $30 (AAA Members)

Click here and book now before the tour is full!

Eventbrite Link: 

• Article: Vanessa Couzens & Annette Dearing
  
• Images: Kent House House designed by Studio Schelp (Source: Studio Schelp)
  
• Photographer: Des Harris

 

This month All About Architecture features Alex Zecevic, an Associate at Taylor Thomson Whitting (TTW), one of the largest independent structural engineering consultant firms in Australia - who have been long time supporters of the AAA as Corporate Members.

Alex is a timber engineering enthusiast and advocate, with over thirteen years experience working in both Australia and the UK – with seven of those years as a proud part of the TTW family.

Passionate about mass timber and hybrid timber design, Alex has become an industry expert and a specialist timber frame engineer. 

By delivering 10+ completed mass timber buildings to date, he brings valuable European market knowledge and construction experience. His current mass timber projects include the 13,000 m2 mass timber building The Bond in Norwest.

Tell us a little bit about Timber at TTW?

Over the past 20 years, our Timber team has engineered 50+ timber projects such as award-winning Bunjil Place, Seed House and the Incubator Macquarie University.

These achievements are the results of our expertise in designing with timber and utilising cutting-edge technologies while providing a high-level service to our clients.

Amongst undertaking our own research, our engineers are involved in full-scale tests with universities, builders and fabricators, locally and internationally. These tests for structural integrity and fire enable us to deliver efficient, elegant and award-winning designs, while achieving national code compliance.

Why do you choose Timber?

Firstly, it looks great! there is something incredibly appealing about the warm and natural aesthetic of a nicely detailed timber structure. There is lots of data on its positive impacts on occupant’s wellbeing and productivity.

Secondly, there are proven environmental benefits of using it as a sustainable method for construction. A structure designed in timber instead of concrete or steel would lead to lighter foundation loads, which could lead to smaller concrete foundations (and less carbon) being used. Some of these benefits along with quick construction time and reduced (safer) on site activities are often overlooked in the early stages of comparisons.

Tell me about the unique and smart ways TTW is putting Mass Timber to use?

We’ve built our expertise through delivering some of the most advanced timber projects, such as Aveo Norwest which was the tallest CLT building at the time in Australia. By continually developing in-house design tools and methods for structural analysis, our integrated services with our advanced analytics and computational design team can very quickly test concepts and ideas in the beginning of a project to design and deliver the most efficient timber buildings. 

When recommending Timber, what are the considerations that should be thought about when choosing Mass Timber for a project?

Fire design and certification is probably one of the hottest topics right now (pun intended) with mass timber construction. The overall fire strategy and design will dictate the approach to the structural design and the detailing of members and connections. Typically, the longer the fire period, the larger your timber sections need to become – an allowance needs to be made for this when considering section sizes and depths. This can all have an impact on the aesthetics. 

Another key consideration is the services reticulation strategy. I recommend designing into the structure and planning service reticulation routes that don’t require large penetrations through beams. The rules around hole sizes through timber beams are not as forgiving as those through steel beams, and therefore much smaller holes through beams can be achieved economically. Any large holes or notches to beams will need to be reinforced with screws, which adds cost into a project

Lastly, where is Mass Timber going in the future, how do you see it influencing our industry?

Overseas, and mainly in Europe, the majority of mass timber projects are engineered with prefabricated façade panels as well as prefabricated timber elements. Pushing the off-site construction envelope will unlock the next evolution in the Australian market for mass timber and design for manufacture and assembly. 

How do we find out more about using Mass Timber on a project? 

TTW or myself are always happy to have a chat over a coffee or give a presentation at your office.

• Article: Interview provided by Lydia Piegay Marketing and Events Coordinator TTW
• Image 1: Alex Zecevic, Associate at TTW
• Image 2: Visualisation of The Bond in Norwest Business Park, designed by Fitzpatrick + Partners Architects (Image provided by TTW)
• Images 3: The Seed House, designed by Fitzpatrick + Partners (Image provided by TTW)
• Images 4: The Seed House, designed by Fitzpatrick + Partners (Photographer: John Gollings)
• Image 5: Macquarie University Incubator, designed by Architectus (Photographer: Murrary Fredericks)

The Australian Architecture Association would like to extend their condolences to the family and friends of David Edelman, who recently passed away.

David was a valued supporter of our organisation and he will be very much missed by all who have had the pleasure of knowing him over the past several years.

IN MEMORY OF DAVID EDELMAN

By Annette Dearing

David Edelman was a founding member of the Australian Architecture Association who supported architecture and the AAA right up until his death on 9 February, 2019.

David was a respected architect who had his own practice in Melbourne and his residential work has been featured in AAA tours.

I knew David for almost 15 years and always enjoyed catching up with him, sharing stories and his passion for architecture which was an inspiration to me and many other others who got to know David attending the residential tours over the years.

David loved attending architecture tours and would always make the journey from Melbourne to either Sydney or the Sunshine Coast to participate in AAA’s residential tours and would say ‘just let me know when the next one is on and I will be there’.

He was always so generous with his positive comments about other architects’ work and always loved seeing and hearing about their design process.

David opened his clients’ amazing homes to AAA tours in both Melbourne and Sydney. I remember when David invited us to visit one of his projects in Melbourne, with only about an hour’s notice, he phoned the client and she agreed to a visit by Vanessa Couzens and I, thanks to David we got to visit an amazing house.

He was enthusiastic and passionate about architecture and supported every AAA Fundraising campaign so more people could enjoy seeing architecture like he had experienced in attending the many residential tours over the years.

He always said, ‘going inside these houses is a great way for the public to understand architecture’.

David’s daughter Bindy, told us that 'her dad loved going on architecture tours and that it was a whole side of his life that brought him so much joy, he was inspired and made many special connections through these tours'.

David was one of the most generous human beings I have known, he will be missed.

David was 73 years old.

• Image 1: David Edelman (Image Source: Bindy Edelman)
• Image 2: David Edelman and images of his Bellevue Hill House, May 2013 AAA Residential Bus Tour (Photographer: Vanessa Couzens)

Grand Designs Australia showcases exciting houses from the Australian and UK TV shows along with projects by Australian homeowners, architects, builders, renovators, owner-builders and designers.

Hosted by Peter Maddison, Grand Designs Australia TV Series tells the stories of new home and the people who are building them. The popular series charts the process of elaborate design projects undertaken by self builders.

Grand Designs Australia is an information-packed magazine reaching consumers who are looking for a publication to provide them with advice and information when researching their home project. 

The perfect inspiration for home builders, renovators and decorators, subscribe to the bi-montly magazine by clicking here.

 

Don't miss out on securing your tickets for the last AAA Residential Coach Tour for 2019.

Taking place Saturday 30 November, this tour promises to provide another fascinating insight into the latest contemporary home design in Sydney.

The tour will showcase the work of the latest upcoming and established architects, such as Annabelle Chapman - whose Mosman House is featured in this email.

TOUR DETAILS

Date: Saturday 30 November 2019
Time: 9.30am - 5.30pm
Tickets: $205 (public) / $190 (AAA Members)

A full lunch is provided on the day of the bus tour.

Numbers are limited, so book now! Click here to secure your place on the tour.

• Article: Vanessa Couzens
• Image: Mosman House 2 designed by Annabelle Chapman Architect
• Photographer: Simon Whitbread

AN AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE ASSOCIATION RESIDENTIAL COACH TOUR THROUGH THE EYES OF BEN GERSTEL

 

The last Australian Architecture Association Residential Tour was held on the 22nd of June this year. It was a fabulous all day tour which went from Avalon to Darlinghurst, and covered 5 projects. Everyone had their tastes met in architecture.

On these tours, you meet like-minded people who are interested in contemporary architecture, you make friends and enjoy a fabulous meal plus you get to meet the architects who designed the houses.

The first house at Avalon was a brand new house designed by a young architect, Angus Wirth, for his parents. Working under Drew Heath and Peter Stutchbury, the house was amazing with some very clever, well thought out ideas. The dominant materials were concrete and timber. He used dowels to lock the sliding doors and when they were open, the dowel was hidden in the door frame.

The next project was a major house renovation in Northbridge by Marston Architects. It turned a 1980’s Tuscan styled house into a contemporary family home with a first floor addition and a large skylight over the aqua front door.

After a delicious and enjoyable lunch at Martha’s restaurant in Castlecrag, AAA visited 3 more projects. The first for the afternoon was a new house by CHROFI in Balmoral. Highly detailed, making the most of the site and view to Balmoral Beach. The street was architecture heaven with 2 Luigi Rosselli houses and one Clinton Murray / Polly Harbison house.

Next was a new house by Jorge Hrdina in Seaforth. The site had the most spectacular view to Middle Harbour. The design wrapped itself around the site to maximise the view. This house also utilised a lot of concrete and had a timber truss roof system.

The last viewing was a tiny 27 square metre apartment in Darlinghurst. It provided a strong contrast to the other houses visited on the tour. Brad Swartz, the architect, managed to include a kitchen, bathroom, living / dining and bedroom spaces all into that tiny area. Everyone was blown away about how clever it was and how you can live quite easily in such a confined space.

Don’t miss the next AAA residential coach tour which will take place in the Sunshine Coast on the 17th of August 2019 where more exciting houses will be viewed...

Click here to book your place on the next AAA Residential Coach Tour in the Sunshine Coast.

ABOUT BEN GERSTEL

Ben Gerstel is the Vice President of the Australian Architecture Association and runs his practice Ben Gerstel Architecture out of Castlecrag.

He has developed numerous tours for the AAA in Castlecrag, Castle Cove, Middle Cove, Northbridge, McMahons Point, Woollahra, and Chippendale. 

• Article: Ben Gerstel
• Photographer: Vanessa Couzens
• Image 1: Avalon Residence designed by Angus Wirth
• Image 2: Architect Angus Wirth talks about his design for an Avalon Residence.
• Image 3: Pip Marston of Marston Architects talks about the design of a Northbridge Residence.
• Image 4: Steve Fighera of CHROFI Architects talks about the design of a Mosman Residence.
• Image 5: Jorge Hrdina of Jorge Hrdina Architects talks about the design of a Seaforth Residence
• Image 6: Brad Swartz talks about the design of a Darlinghurst Apartment.

 

Over the years At Home has opened the doors on a variety of fabulous architect designed residences, where tour participants get to experience the spaces and talk to the architects and clients about how the houses are designed and constructed.

Tour participants often ask questions about what materials and products have been used in the homes. All About Architecture thought it would be interesting to our readers to focus on some of the people, products and materials we discover at our @home tours.

This month 'Discovered @home' is featuring interior designer Jase Sullivan. 

Jase collaborated with Clinton Cole of CplusC Architectural Workshop on Welcome to the Jungle House, which was featured in Septembers @home tour.

This is the second home he has worked on for CplusC, both of which have been shortlisted for Best Residential homes in the world at the World Architecture Festivals Awards for 2018 and 2019.

Jase began to pursue his passion for interiors several years ago, after a successful career as an international model. He may also be familiar to some of you already from his television show appearances. He was the winner of Channel 9’s renovation television show, homeMADE in 2009 and has more recently been a host, judge and mentor on 'The Block'.

Over the past several years he has worked with a variety of celebrity clients and collaborated on award winning houses with companies such as Arent & Pyke.

Welcome to the Jungle House features collectable vintage furnishings that have become something of a trademark for Jase's design practice.

Much of the furniture and lighting selected for Welcome to the Jungle House was imported from Italy and sourced from a vintage furniture supplier in Melbourne. Furniture was selected for practicality and comfort for a family with young children.

Signature lighting pieces, such as the below vintage eyeball floor lamp, add quirky individuality to the spaces and are lovely examples of the functionalist aesthetic of the 60s and 70s, made famous by lighting designers like the American Robert Sonneman and Italians Achille Castiglioni and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni.

The AAA enjoyed meeting Jase and would like to thank him for taking the time to join Clinton Cole of CplusC at our @home tour of Welcome to the Jungle House. We look forward to seeing more of his work.

 

• Article: Vanessa Couzens
• Image 1: Jase Sullivan at Welcome to the Jungle House, designed by CplusC Architectural Workshop
• Image 2: Ground floor living room which can be converted into a sleeping space for guests
• Image 3: Vintage easy chair and eyeball floor lamp in the top floor living space
• Photographer: Vanessa Couzens

On Sunday 25 August, 'At Home' invites you to explore a Twentieth Century residence designed by Sydney School architect - Ken Woolley.

Tucked away in Paddington, this white brick modernist house was the winner of the Australian Institute of Architects (NSW) Wilkinson Award for outstanding residential design in the 1980's.

Tone Wheeler, architect and AAA President will talk about Ken Woolley and this iconic award winning house along with architect Milenko who has restored/renovated the Paddington house.

TOUR DETAILS

Location: Paddington, NSW
Please note that the address and meeting point will only be forwarded to ticket holders in the days immediately before the tour.
Time: 11.00am - 12.00pm
Date: Sunday 25 August 2019
Tickets: $35 (Early Bird) / $45 (Public) / $30 (AAA Members)

Don't miss your opportunity to experience this private residence, numbers are limited.

Book your place on the tour, click here.

 

• Article: Vanessa Couzens & Annette Dearing
• Image: Paddington House designed by Ken Woolley (Images supplied by Tone Wheeler)
  
  

Wind down from a day at the office and enjoy an evening stroll, learning about architecture in Sydneys central business district. On Wednesday 20 March, experience the city as it’s wreathed in the glow of twilight.

Over the 90 minute tour your AAA trained tour guide will walk you through the development of Sydney and the evolution of skyscrapers which define the Sydney skyline.

We examine many of the buildings in the Central Business District and trace the development of modernism and the high rise tower. 

From Harry Seidler's iconic Australia Square tower that dominated the cityscape in the late 60's to more recent additions such as Sir Norman Foster's Deutsche Bank and 1 Bligh Street, a 6 Green Star rated office building, the highest rating that can be achieved in Australia under the Green Building Council of Australia's measurement standards for a sustainable building are just some of the buildings you will be visiting.

As we walk, many of these Sydney icons start to put on their night-time glittering look and you will find out how much lighting can beautify the city at night!

TOUR DETAILS:

Meeting Point: Entrance to Customs House, 31 Alfred Street, Circular Quay NSW 2000
Date: Wednesday 20 March 2019
Time: 6.00pm - 7.30pm
Tickets: $30 (Public) / $25 (Concession) / Free (AAA Members)

Numbers are limited. Click here - to secure your place on the tour.

• Image 1: Sydney City Skyline (Photographer: Vincent Lam)
• Image 2: Australia Square Tower, designed by Harry Seidler (Photographer: Vanessa Couzens)