e’re always on the hunt for new
architecture and design practices
to feature in the pages of Houses;
often its a residential commission
that launches a practice. Australia currently
has a wealth of emerging talent and many
of these younger studios are aiming to shift
the status quo of architecture and design to
encompass a larger (and broader) portion of
the population. This is clearly evident in the
projects in this issue.
Emerging practice Whispering Smith has
a strong design ethos and is making its mark
in Perth, Western Australia. The practice
built House A (page 88) as an experiment
into what change and a sustainable future
could look like: “We are all about making
architecture more affordable,” founder Kate
FitzGerald explains. The resulting house,
mostly built by Kate and her partner, is
both a political statement and a prototype.
In our One to Watch article we take a
look at the work of Brisbane-based architect
Anna O’Gorman (page 84). In a similar way
to Whispering Smith, Anna hopes to make
good design available to a broader range of
socioeconomic groups. She is particularly
concerned with the way that architecture
can make better communities.
In Victoria, emerging practice Eldridge
Anderson has had the opportunity to
design a new home for co-founder Jeremy
Anderson’s parents in Ballarat (page 124).
This project was an exercise in restraint,
with the challenge being to design a bespoke
residence for the outlay of a speculative
home. There is a unique desire by this
practice to challenge every indulgence.
Prahran House by Ritz & Ghougassian
(page 28) is one of the first homes completed
by the practice. Among other things, it
explores an interest in modularity – both in
following the geometric order established by
the module of a concrete block, as well as in
the planning. This involves some elements
being replicated and contributes to the
efficiency of the design.
Our Postscript article focuses on
Brisbane architect Jonathan Goh’s challenge
to design a front yard book exchange.
The Ryan Street Footpath Library is an
exercise in “a more genuine contribution
to the life of a suburban street.” Again, a
young architect is seeking new ways for
architecture and design to build and
support community.
Emerging studios have the potential to
further the lateral thinking required to keep
architects relevant – and I can’t wait to see
what’s next for all these practices.
Katelin Butler, editor02
01
WELCOME01 Keep an eye out for the
2018 Houses Awards
shortlist, to be published
online on Friday 20
April. Pictured here is
Burleigh Street House
by ME, winner of the
Emerging Architecture
Practice category in the
2017 Houses Awards.
Don’t forget to mark the
details for the awards
presentation night in
your diary: Friday 27
July at the Ivy Ballroom,
Sydney. Ticket sales will
commence in June.
housesawards.com.au02 The 2018 winners of
the Dulux Study Tour, a
coveted program that
inspires and fosters
Australia’s next generation
of architectural talent, will
travel to Berlin, London
and Milan in May. The
winners are Kim Bridgland
(Vic), Leah Gallagher (Qld),
Jason Licht (Tas), Joseph
O’Meara (NSW) and Dirk
Yates (Qld). Houses editor,
Katelin Butler, will travel
with the group and share
its experiences on
ArchitectureAU.com.
For social media
updates, follow
#2018DuluxStudyTour.Write to us at
[email protected]
Subscribe at
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Find us
@housesmagazine
Burleigh Street House by ME. Photograph: Christopher Frederick Jones.Walmer Yard townhouses in London by Peter Salter, visited by
the 2017 Dulux Study Tour group. Photograph: Katelin Butler.