126 NEW FARM PARK HOUSE
A choreographed sequence of
landscaped gardens enriches the
experiential qualities of this addition
to a Brisbane home, whose regional
sensibility befits its locale.
WordsbyMichelleBailey
Photography by Cathy Schulser
Oneofthechallengesforarchitectsworkingwithvernacularhousinginthe
subtropicalcityofBrisbaneisfindingsuitablewaystoadapttheQueenslander.
JadeMyersandWilliamEllyett,directorsatBrisbane-basedarchitecture
studioMyersEllyett,attempttobridgethedividebetweenwhatthishistoric
housingtypesatisfiesandwhatcontemporarylivingculturedemands
throughtheirexperimentationswithcourtyardhouses.NewFarmParkHouse,
theirmostsignificantprojecttodate,reconcilesopposingtypes– the1920s
Queenslanderpavilion and contemporary courtyard – through the creation
of a walledgarden.
Theclientsexpressedtheirwantsandneedsincommonterms:they
requireda newdeckandlaundry.Butthearchitectswerekeentodelvedeeper
andadopta holisticapproachtositeinterventionthatwoulddojusticetothe
generous746-square-metreplotoppositeNewFarmPark.Highontheagenda
waskeepingthehistoricQueenslanderintactandsecuringlongevityforthe
sitebyacknowledgingpotentialthreats:neighbouring development, intense
summerheatandseasonalfloodwaters.
Balancingthefunctionalwiththeexperiential,thearchitectswere
committedtoaddressingthedeeper,spiritualneedsofthehumancondition,
inordertoforgeconnectionswithnatureandprovidea retreatfromthe
outsideworld.Theyapproachedthisbyengagingwiththelandscape.“The
projectisasmuchaboutbuiltformasit isaboutgardens,”Williamsays.
NewFarmParkHouseissetaround“threecourtyardsvaryingin
scale,typeandlevelofprivacy”.Thesmallestoftheseisa plantedbuffer
betweenstreetandQueenslanderandthelargest,a rollingfieldbetween
contemporaryextensionandpoolpavilion.Butprimacyisreservedforthe
centralcourtyard,whichtakesseedinthelargevoidcarvedoutofthetwo-
storeypavilionextension.A solitarytropicalbirchtreerisesfromitscentre,
itspapery,deciduousleavescastingever-changingshadowsoverthepebbled
floorandscatteredgroundcover.TheenchantinggardenwascuratedbyMyers
Ellyett’slong-timecollaborator,landscapearchitectDanYoung,whowasinflu-
encedbyJapanesecompositionalprinciples.Dan’sexpertknowledgeoflocal
climate,soilandspecies was instrumental in enabling the architects to achieve
their ambitions.
01 Theseasonal
transformationof
thebirchtreeatNew
FarmParkHouseis
a focalpointinthe
landscaped garden.
