Astrid Dispensary by Alte. Studio
November 8, 2021
Bucking the trend of how a traditional pharmacy should look and feel, Astrid Dispensary has flipped the dated design concept on its head. Gone are the flashy price special stickers, blaring colours and stark white coats floating behind a counter you can’t see beyond. Astrid Dispensary is the latest and welcome addition to Melbourne’s Chapel Street that pushes the envelope of the modern-day pharmacy, inviting patients in with its friendly pharmacists, lush green walls and warm timber tones seen throughout the new space.
A new ERA for offices
October 25, 2021
Converting an old, dark and tired retail space into an office setting that inspires employees and clients isn’t an easy task. Leave it to the experts at famed Hobart Architecture studio, Cumulus, to identify ample potential in the location and the existing building. Cumulus have transformed the once sad interior into an unrecognizable office space that not only inspires but offers comfort and warmth and matches the values of the business that now occupies the elevated new space.
From tip to toe, Van Bone is a tribute to all that is good in Tasmania
October 18, 2021
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.
Proudly perched in West Launceston, Birdhouse Studios by Gillian van der Schans offers a glimpse of Tasmania’s high-end-but-humble design
October 13, 2021
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.
Flinders Residence by Abe McCarthy Architects
August 16, 2021
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.
Maximum style, minimum waste
August 9, 2021
The word ‘liminal' means at the threshold; exploring the potential of what can be. This word is also the name of Hobart-based LIMINAL Studio and it’s what drives their approach on every project. Constantly on the threshold of or relating to a sensory threshold; exploring the possibilities of what can be; discovery in transition…LIMINAL Studio is where transformation takes place. And from their long list of award-winning architectural projects, spaces and objects, it’s clear that this transdisciplinary studio is doing just that.
Lands Building Office Redevelopment by Xsquared Architects
August 2, 2021
Xsquared Architects designed and documented a total refurbishment of the iconic Lands Building at 134 Macquarie Street in Hobart, Tasmania. This was a substantial project for the Department of Primary Industries Parks, Water and the Environment. All 11 floors of the office building were changed. Xsquared Architects created a standardised floor layout to provide each branch with the same level of amenity. This occurred by involving the different client groups in extensive consultation and dialogue.
Tasmanian Oak transforms this 1800’s pub and bistro by Enth Degree Architects
June 28, 2021
Just on the outskirts of Melbourne sits Templestowe Hotel, lovingly known by locals as The Tempy. Originally established in 1868, the venue just received a sparkling renovation by Melbourne based architecture studio, Enth Degree Architects. Revamping the large venue and seamlessly combining the hotel’s different spaces to create a cohesive style throughout, Tasmanian Oak was used as the common thread to stitch the warm but modern design together throughout this welcoming community hub.
Assessing Quality and Durability When Specifying Timber Flooring
June 28, 2021
Naturally warm and attractive, timber remains among the most popular choices for flooring. One of the world’s oldest building materials, timber’s physical properties and potential for sustainability are highly regarded. Combining premium aesthetics with durability, timber has been a reliable choice for interior applications for centuries. It is also eco-friendly, being less emissions-intensive and more sustainable over its lifecycle than other building materials like steel and concrete. However, when specifying timber for specific applications, the varying properties of different species must be taken into account.
Bona Vista by Studio Prineas
June 9, 2021
Nestled in Sydney’s quiet inner-west, Bona Vista by Studio Prineas reinterprets the characterful features of its Federation frontage, forging a warm domestic setting for family life. Applying a holistic gaze, Studio Prineas developed a considered vision for all aspects of the project; architecture, planning, custom joinery, furniture and styling.
Pirie Street Extension by Preston Lane
May 31, 2021
Set atop the rolling hills in Hobart’s suburb of New Town sits Pirie Street Extension. Situated on a sloping site, this charming Tasmanian weatherboard cottage has just received a renovation and extension from the award-winning architecture firm Preston Lane Architects, that brings the early 20th century home into modern times.
Blonde Aussie beauty
May 13, 2021
Tasmanian Oak is a high to medium density timber which is sourced from three almost identical species of eucalypts: E. delegatensis, E. regnans and. E. obliqua. It was named by early European timber workers who believed these eucalypts showed the same strength as the mighty English Oak. It also shares the oak’s pale, straw-toned colouring – something that makes it unique among Australian hardwoods, which generally play into the darker end of the spectrum.
A reflection of the present and past
May 10, 2021
Tasmanian architect Rosa Douramanis has called Hobart home almost her entire life. Growing up and commencing her studies in Sydney, Rosa arrived at the island state and set down permanent roots. Now, having practiced architecture for over 25 years, Rosa is a veteran in the industry and prides herself on homing in on sense of place, carefully articulating each project to a site’s favourable attributes or demanding restraints.
Going green with stone and wood: Limestone House by John Wardle Architects
April 26, 2021
John Wardle Architects’ Limestone House is a home unlike any other in Australia. Staying within the confines of two environmental agendas, the Living Building Challenge and Passivhaus, the contemporary home is brimming with robust natural materials and designed to ensure the house will generate more energy than it will consume, making it one of the greenest houses in Australia. Specified for its beauty, locality and certification, Reclaimed Tasmanian Oak was used inside in beautiful contrast to the home’s namesake limestone material in this stunning Toorak home.
Fitzpatrick + Partners Studio
April 13, 2021
"We're very much known for the big picture right down to the detail, and I think designing into a new place where we're going to live, it was very important that the studio express what we are, where we're going and what we do. We are on a pathway towards becoming carbon neutral, and so the selection of the materials was really important to us. Both for the physicality of the material, what it offers in terms of that carbon neutrality and the journey, but also what it says to our clients. Tasmanian timber offers such a wide range of products for many, many different uses, so tends to be our go-to to start with, but also we get great support from the local industry. We can actually talk to the owners, the designers, the craftsmen of the products, and say, what about? how can we do this? what's your opinion? It's always that openness to explore, and if they don't know, there's always someone down there on the end of the line that can give us those answers. The entry wall and the ceiling are all solid Tas Oak profiles, so it's very much built like a stud wall with bearers and bracing, but we just closed up the centres and then got a bit smart, so we did all the engineering and cutting of the works with the CNC machines and all the fixings come from the back, so it's a very fine combination of a great product and some smart engineering. We worked with Simon Ancher. Simon's a Launceston-based furniture designer. Fantastic portfolio work, easy person to work with, can-do attitude. We've got some lovely pieces in all our work stools scattered around the studio, some meeting room furniture with leather cushions, and then all our breakout spaces as well, done by Simon. One of the key decisions was the floor and being an architectural studio, there are endless choices of materials. It's a Tas Oak floor, but it's laid on a plywood backing. It's an efficient use of timber, we weren't wasting a valuable resource. Fantastic for an office environment in that it gave us a great speed of delivery, so the planks arrived, they were laid, they're pre-finished, we didn't have to worry about sanding floors and that made it possible to put it into a work environment on a very large area, where it's over 700 square metres of the flooring here, in an efficient time. The light colours that the Tassie Oak offers allow reflected light back up onto the ceiling and back indirectly into the workspace, and then into the evenings, the warmer tones are picked up in the Tassie Oak and it really enhances that comfort, warmth. People actually now come in and visit and say, wow, look at that timber floor. Yeah, right. Why did we always start putting carpet into working environments? It seems a crazy thing to do." James Fitzpatrick (Principal), Fitzpatrick + Partners (Sydney)
Tasmanian Oak delivers the wow factor in fitzpatrick+partners new Sydney CBD office
April 13, 2021
Playing a role in the development of a city’s skyline is no easy task. But with decades of experience, knowledge and expertise, that’s just what the bustling office of Sydney based architecture firm Fitzpatrick + Partners have been doing. From high rise office buildings to ingenious health infrastructure to bespoke residential projects, Director James Fitzpatrick has played a crucial part in designing the look and feel of Australia’s biggest cities.
Webinar: Tasmanian Veneers
March 2, 2021
Tasmanian veneers have long been sought after for a variety of applications with some stunning examples of the capability of the product in beautiful furniture and custom doors and cabinetry. Veneer has traditionally been revered for its uniformity. The matchless repetition created by thinly slicing timber from one larger piece was sought after for cabinetry and linings, particularly in large commercial fit-outs.
From bay views to beer taps, JAWS Architects uses Tasmanian Oak to tell a local story
February 23, 2021
With a commitment to design excellence, the team at Jaws Architects have taken on a diverse range of projects around Tasmania and beyond in their 90 plus years of existence. Now, the team of twelve including Director Scott Verdouw, are highly respected for their professionalism, creative innovation and exceptional design. Discussing two of their latest projects, the Rosny Hill House and Cascade Brewery, Scott Verdouw walks us through the brief and shares why the use of Tasmanian Oak in both projects was a natural choice.
Tried, trusted and true, Tasmanian Oak is a natural fit for Hobart’s Studio ilk
February 15, 2021
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.
Neville Smith Forest Products to increase Southwood production and create new jobs
February 11, 2021
Neville Smith Forest Products is set to increase production at its Southwood mill near Huonville from 1st July 2021. The expansion will immediately create 30 new full-time jobs in the Huon Valley.
