Showcased on a global stage, Tasmanian CLT proves it is the product of the future

The recent IPCC report highlighted that we must urgently transition to a low carbon future. If Australia wants to limit global warming to 1.5°C, as per the Paris Agreement, it must reach net-zero emissions by 2035. With buildings accounting for around one fifth of Australia’s emissions when electricity use is taken into account, improving the sustainability of new and existing housing is low hanging fruit.

Working as an architect for 15 years, and in the profession for 18, Kate Symons’ focus has always been on one thing: the client. Customising and creating bespoke residential homes has been her specialty. After 5 years of co-directing architectural practice MGA.I, in the midst of 2020, Symons established her very own Hobart based practice, Studio ilk.

At the base of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula where the Western Port meets Bass Strait, sits the coastal town of Flinders and the newly built Flinders Residence by Abe McCarthy Architects’. Capturing views of the often-turbulent Southern Australian waters and the lush and rolling seaside landscape, Flinders Residence is modern Australian farmhouse meets comforting luxury.

A cruisy 50-minute drive outside of Hobart’s CBD towards the Tasman Peninsula sits Van Bone restaurant in Marion Bay. Upon arrival to the venue’s lush grounds, if your breath’s not taken by the area’s stunning scenery and million-dollar views, the new restaurant’s end to end dining experience surely will.

Gillian van der Schans is a veteran to the Tasmanian design industry. Born and raised in Tasmania, van der Schans had a short stint in Sydney to complete her studies but returned back to her island state where she knew she wanted to establish her career in architecture. Lecturing undergraduate architecture students at The University of Tasmania for eight years, van der Schans then went on to establish her own practice that she has maintained for the last two decades. Having created dozens of mostly residential projects for clients around the state, van der Schans’ love for Tasmania’s rough and rugged landscape has kept her on her toes – and she wouldn’t have it any other way.